Bhat‐dhara— catching rice
A folk milestone in the development of Bangladeshi children: An investigation of parental beliefs and decision making in introducing young children to family meals
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14722305 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nizam Uddin Ahmed (0000-0001-7503-7092, Tufts University, corresponding author), Nasar U Ahmed, Marian F Zeitlin (Tufts University) |
| Year | 1994 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 227-238 |
| Publication date | 1994-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ecology of Food and Nutrition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0367-0244 • E-ISSN: 1543-5237 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03670244.1994.9991403 |
| OpenAlex | W2078769274 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
This ethnographic study explores bhat‐dhara ("catching rice"), a cultural milestone in Bangladesh, indicating the child's readiness for family meals. Following focus group discussions on bhat‐dhara concepts, a household rice allocation rule and child heights were obtained from 30 participating families with children aged 2–9 years. Criteria for bhat‐dhara include: eruption of two‐year‐old molars; ability to walk; carry 1–2 kg weight; name and reach for foods, and self‐feed; and a linear appearance. Girls reach bhat‐dhara earlier than boys. A two way causal relationship is suggested between malnutrition and late bhat‐dhara. The bhat‐dhara adaptation may contribute to the following survival mechanisms: protection of infants from cholera through prolonged reliance on breast milk; provision of staple foods for girls to survive toddlerhood despite an ideology that trains them for scarcity; and sanctioning practices that withhold food from weak and unaffordable infants who fail to reach bhat‐dhara. Key words: Cultural milestonereadiness for foodinfant feedingmotor developmentChild growthmalnutritionethnographygender biasBangladesh
Developmental psychology · Geography · Milestone · Sociology · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Psychology
Mortality in Second and Third Degree Malnutrition
Successful Focus Groups
Human parental care
Effects of age misstatement on the utility of age-dependent anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in rural Bangladesh
Infant feeding in Mali, West Africa
Disaster in Bangladesh. Health Crises in a Developing Nation
Sex Bias in the Family Allocation of Food and Health Care in Rural Bangladesh
Selective Discrimination against Female Children in Rural Punjab, India
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |