Background: Nutrition is a significant factor in the growth, development and overall functioning of a child. Nutrition education is a critical component of health promotion and disease prevention programs. Mothers with higher education are more likely to integrate in nutrition counselling programs and get most benefits of it.

Aim: To test the knowledge attainment after nutritional counseling of mothers of infants aged from 6 months up to 2 years, using the card of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) program of WHO.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study that included 107 mothers of infants aged from 6 months up to 2 years. The counseling was done using a visual tool (mother card) and verbal counseling. Pre- and post- educational questionnaires in Arabic language were handed. The questionnaire was based on the IMCI guidelines to test knowledge of mothers about proper nutrition practice recommended by WHO/UNICEF for infant’s feeding (WHO and UNICEF,2001) & to assess the improvement in their knowledge. Results: The age of mothers attended the counselling sessions was between 18 to 41 years. 52 (48.6%) were highly educated (their age between 20-40 with mean of 28.17±4.11 years) while the remaining 55 (51.4%) were illiterate or poorly educated, their age range was 18-41 years with mean of 27.98±6.14 years. A significant improvement of the maternal knowledge was noted after medical counseling and during the follow up visits (5 days after). Maternal knowledge was improved after nutritional education with the mean scores (8.14±3.44, 21.64±2.04, 19.28±3.64 for before, immediately after and 5 days after education respectively) (p = <0.001). This increase happened almost equally for educated and non-educated mothers with no significant difference.

Conclusion: Nutritional counseling using the card derived from the IMCI program was effective in delivering information for proper infant nutrition (breastfeeding and weaning practice) for both educated and non-educated mothers.

Dalia Fouad Tawfik Awadallah lecturer of pediatrics faculty of medicine, Cairo University, member in NICU, intermediate care & postoperative care of the Neonates. After completion of my MD, I joined many researches in pediatrics & neonatology fields.