Objective:

Identify the dietary patterns of mothers and the nutritional status of nursing children of a peri-urban zone of the central highlands of Perú. Methodology: The study was observational, cross-sectional and prospective. Census population were 93 mothers and their nursing children, It was applied a dietary patterns questionnaire; to measure the weight and height of the nursing children was applied machanics instruments. It was applied Fisher y Rho de Spearman test, considering p<0,05. Results: The dietary patterns of mothers were proper 95,7 % (89). To value the nutritional status of nursing children; in the weight for age, the most of them had the normal condition with 79,6 % (74); 15.1 % (14) al lof them had overweight, 5,4 % (5) underweight; in weight-for-height, 64,5 % (60) had the normal diagnosis, followed by acuate malnutrition 24,7 % (23), overweight 7,5 % (7) were 3,2 % (3). And, in height for age, 77,4 % (72) were normals. The higher the amount of family members the nutritional status of nursing children was worse (Rho = -0,294; p-value = 0,004) and the height for age of nursing children had relation with the mother visit had to the nutricionist (p-value = 0,018). Conclusion: The higher amount of members family, the nutritional status of nursing children was worse, in weight for age and height for age of nursing children was found relation with the visit to the nutritionist.