The prevalence of stunting in young Indonesian children is the highest among countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Breastfed children are reported to grow better than non-breastfed. The present study examined the protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against stunting in children under two years old (CU2) and its interaction with monthly household expenditure. Secondary analyses were conducted based on a 2012 cross-sectional study including 408 children aged 6–24 months and their caregivers from 14 villages in rural Eastern Indonesia. Data on breastfeeding history, childcare, and household expenditures were collected using structured questionnaires. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted in each village (n = 14). Nearly two-thirds (61%) of caregivers who identified as the biological mother exclusively breastfed their child at 6 months. Exclusively-breastfed CU2 from poorer households were 20% less likely to be stunted than their non-exclusively-breastfed peers. Further, exclusively-breastfed CU2 from wealthier households were 50% less likely to be stunted than non-exclusively-breastfed CU2 from poorer households. FGDs revealed that some mothers were unaware of the importance of recommended breastfeeding practices. Exclusive breastfeeding may protect low-income children against stunting. Health promotion to improve caregiver motivation to exclusively breastfeed is critical in the present setting and beyond.

The prevalence of stunting in young children is associated with poor growth during the prenatal and early postnatal periods. A maternal mentoring program was developed for Indonesian women to improve birth outcomes. A cluster-randomized controlled trial (CRCT) was conducted in three sub-districts of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A total of 384 eligible participants were randomly allocated to either an intervention (received the maternal mentoring program and standard care; n = 189) or control (received standard care only; n = 195) group. The maternal mentoring program provided preconception health education; health monitoring; and text message reminders for preconception women. Fetal growth was measured between gestational weeks 27 and 30 using the estimated fetal weight generated from ultrasonographic measurements. Birth weight was measured within 24 h of birth. A structured questionnaire captured women’s demographics, pregnancy readiness, and body mass indexes (BMIs). After adjustment, fetal weight was 14% (95% CI: 5.1–23.0) higher in the intervention group than in the control group, and the average weight-for-length Z-score at birth was 0.16 (95% CI: 0.04–0.30) higher in the intervention group than in the control group. The maternal mentoring program was associated with improved fetal growth and birth weight in this population and should be considered for scale-up to other settings, nationally and globally.

ABSTRAK Latar belakang: Kecemasan pada kehamilan merupakan reaksi emosional yang terjadi pada ibu hamil. Salah satu faktor yang mempengaruhi kecemasan adalah pendapatan. Jika Tingkat pendapatan keluarga tercukupi cenderung mengurangi risiko kecemasan menghadapi persalinan karena ibu hamil trimester III sudah siap secara fisik dan psikologis. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara tingkat pendapatan dengan tingkat kecemasan menghadapi persalinan pada ibu hamil trimester III di Puskesmas Wilayah Kabupaten Bantul. Metode Penelitian: Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan pendekatan Cross Sectional. Populasi pada sampel ini adalah ibu hamil trimester III yang melakukan kunjungan ANC dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 180 responden di Puskesmas Pleret, Sewon II dan Piyungan. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan Quota Sampling dan uji statistik penelitian menggunakan uji Kendall Tau. Hasil Penelitian: Berdasarkan hasil uji statistik didapatkan p value= 0,022 (<0,05). Kesimpulan: Ada hubungan signifikan antara tingkat pendapatan dengan tingkat kecemasan menghadapi persalinan pada ibu hamil trimester III di Puskesmas wilayah Kabupaten Bantul Kata Kunci: Tingkat Kecemasan Menghadapi Persalinan, Tingkat Pendapatan

The prevalence of stunting in young Indonesian children is the highest among Southeast Asian Nations, and is associated with poor growth during the prenatal and early postnatal periods. A maternal mentoring program was developed for Indonesian women to improve birth outcomes. A cluster randomized control trial (CRCT) was conducted in three sub-districts of the Special Re-gion of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A total of 384 eligible participants were randomly allocated to either intervention (received maternal mentoring program and standard care; n=189) or control (received standard care only; n=195). The maternal mentoring program provided preconception health education; health monitoring; and text message reminders for preconception women. Fetal growth was measured between gestational weeks 27-30 using estimated fetal weight generated from ultrasonographic measurement. Birth weight was measured within 24 hours of birth. A structured questionnaire captured women’s’ demographics, pregnancy readiness, and body mass index (BMI. After adjustment, fetal weight was 14% (95% CI: 5.1-23.0) higher in the intervention group than in the control group, and the average weight-for-length Z-score at birth was 0.16 (95% CI: 004-0.30) higher in the intervention group than in the control group. A maternal mentoring program was associated with improved fetal growth and birth weight in this population.