Abstract

Background. Breastmilk is the best source of vitamin A for children in their early life. However in Indonesia breast feeding practices is still unsatisfactory. This problem can lead to vitamin A deficiency which leads to delayed growth in children. Objective. To study status of vitamin A based on breastfeeding duration. Method. This was an analytic observational study using cross sectional design. Subject of were 89 (12-36 months) children. History of breastfeeding duration was obtained from the result of structured interview with mothers. Vitamin A status measured by HLPC (high performance liquid chromatography) in the SEAMEO-RECFON UI laboratory. Data were analyzed with t- test. Result. The study found 2 underweight subject and 15 severe stunted children. Average duration of breastfeeding was 16 months. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practices was extremely low (2%). Average vitamin A status was 1.59±044 μmol/L There was significant difference in vitamin A status based on the duration of breastfeeding (p=0.02). Children that got breastfeed more than 6 months had lower vitamin A than those who got breastfeed less than 6 months. Conclusion. There was difference of vitamin A status based on breastfeeding duration.