Knowledge and Practice on Supplementary Iron-Drop Taking Among Mothers of 8-24 Months Infants Attending to Gorgan Health Centers, 2009

Iron is one of the essential nutrient elements for infants and children and it is also important for cells growth. The aim of the current study was evaluation of supplementary iron-drop taking and its related factors in 8-24 months infants of mothers attending to Gorgan health centers. In a Cross-Sectional study four hundred subjects were selected through cluster sampling method. Data was gathered using a valid and reliable questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted via descriptive methods such as frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation, as well as the ANOVA, t-test, and Chi-square using SPSS software. Confidence Coefficient was 95%. 62% of mothers gave iron-drop to their child regularly, 35.2% occasionally, and 2.8% do not give it at all. The most common reason for interruption in iron-drop giving was mother's neglect (33.9%). there was a significant relationship between mothers knowledge and education levels and supplementary iron- drop taking by their children (p<0.05). While knowledge and practice of mothers on iron-drop were higher than those of other studies, however, more than one third of mothers had not satisfactory performance. Due to importance of supplementary iron- drop taking among children under 2 years, it's necessary to improve mother's performance via intervention and health education.