Infant and young child feeding

Abstract

Nutrition during the entire life cycle is a key driver of growth and development. Foetal life and early childhood years are the phases when growth and development are maximum, coinciding with a period of great vulnerability to sub-optimal environment, with early as well as long-term consequences. It is in this context that optimal feeding of infants and young children is critically important. This chapter describes the recommended practices of breast-feeding, and the recommendations for vulnerable subgroups such as low birth weight and HIV infected infants. It also emphasizes on strong lactation support for mothers and describes ways for promoting optimal practices. Feeding of complementary foods after 6 months of age, the guiding principles for complementary feeding of the breast-fed children and the nutritional requirements from complementary feeding are also covered. As non-dietary determinants such as water, sanitation, hygiene, and other factors influence nutritional status of children, integrated interventions are likely to have a greater impact on stunting, rather than individual components alone.