Feeding Practices and Growth Outcomes of Low Birth Weight Infants at Specialist Hospital Bauchi, North East Nigeria

Low birth weight infants face elevated risks of post-neonatal growth faltering, developmental delays, and mortality, making appropriate early feeding practices essential to improving outcomes. This study examines the feeding practices and growth outcomes of low birth weight infants discharged from the neonatal unit of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi State, North East Nigeria. Despite the availability of evidence-based feeding guidelines for low birth weight infants, implementation in resource-limited settings remains inconsistent. A hospital-based follow-up descriptive study was conducted with 140 mother-infant pairs of low birth weight infants who were discharged and followed up at one, two, and three months post-discharge. Information on feeding initiation, breastfeeding type, complementary food introduction, and supplementation was collected using structured interviews at each follow-up visit. Growth parameters including weight, length, and head circumference were measured at each visit and compared against WHO growth references. Maternal knowledge of special feeding needs of low birth weight infants was also assessed. Findings are expected to reveal poor adherence to recommended exclusive breastfeeding among this high-risk group, suboptimal growth velocity, and insufficient postnatal nutrition support. These results will inform the development of structured discharge nutrition counselling protocols for low birth weight infant management in Bauchi State. Keywords: low birth weight, feeding practices, growth outcomes, Bauchi, neonatal nutrition.