Infant and young child nutrition

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 1 August 2024 – “In the last 12 years, the number of infants under six months of age globally who are exclusively breastfed has increased by more than 10 per cent. This means 48 per cent of infants worldwide now benefit from this healthy start in life. It translates to hundreds of thousands of babies whose lives have been saved by…

Child health and nutrition are key goals under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Currently, around 45% of deaths among children under five years of age are linked to undernutrition. These mostly occur in low- and middle-income countries. In June 2023, the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) and the UNICEF China Office convened a forum on “Supporting Child Nutrition and Sustainable Development Through International Co-operation”. Participating experts discussed China’s experience, and the potential presented, and challenges faced by Chinese product, in boosting the improvement of child nutrition in impoverished regions of Africa and Asia. The case study is a summary of the views presented at the forum. The content covers global needs and challenges in child nutrition, the importance of complementary food supplements in improving child nutrition, effective practices implemented by the international community to promote the use of complementary food supplements, advantages and on-the-ground results of China’s YYB, challenges to taking the YYB international and recommendations for driving product internationalization of the YYB.

NEW YORK, 7 March 2023 – The number of pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and women suffering from acute malnutrition has soared from 5.5 million to 6.9 million – or 25 per cent – since 2020 in 12 countries hardest hit by the global food and nutrition crisis, according to a new report released by UNICEF today. The 12 countries – including…

Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia amplify gender inequalities by lowering learning potential, wages and life opportunities for adolescent girls and women, weakening their immunity to infections, and increasing their risk of life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In ‘Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women’ UNICEF examines the current status, trends and inequities in the nutritional status of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age (15-49 years), and the barriers they face in accessing nutritious diets, utilizing essential nutrition services and benefiting from positive nutrition and care practices. The analysis focuses on undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia because these forms of malnutrition affect the most vulnerable adolescent girls and women in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the context of the ongoing global food and nutrition crisis. Research highlights:   UNICEF’s findings reveal the slow global progress on nutrition in adolescent girls and women, and the multiple, interacting drivers that underlie this global crisis. The key findings are as follows: Progress on adolescent girls’ and women’s nutrition is too slow and under threat: no region is on track to meet the 2030 global targets to reduce anaemia and low birthweight, and acute malnutrition has risen by 25 per cent since 2020 in crisis-hit countries. Disadvantaged adolescent girls and women and those living in poorer regions bear the brunt of undernutrition and anaemia. Poor nutrition is passed down through generations: about half of children under 2 with stunting become stunted during pregnancy and the first six months of life. The global food crisis is deepening the nutrition crisis for adolescent girls and women. Adolescent girls and women struggle to access nutritious diets. Harmful social and gender norms and practices block progress on adolescent girls’ and women’s nutrition. Nutrition services and social protection programmes are failing to meet the nutrition needs of adolescent girls and women, especially in humanitarian settings. Adolescent girls and women lack strong policy protection against undernutrition. Conclusions:   The scale and consequences of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia in adolescent girls and women are being overlooked and under recognized by families, society, governments, development and humanitarian communities, research and academia, media and the private sector. Unless decisive action is taken, we will collectively continue to fail adolescent girls and women, and jeopardize the survival, growth, development and well-being of their children. With the mounting pressures on food and nutrition security and rapidly approaching deadlines for the global nutrition targets, governments and their development and humanitarian partners – national and international – must take the lead in accelerating progress for adolescent girls’ and women’s nutrition. >>> Access data on the triple threats of anemia, underweight and overweight

This article was first published on the UNICEF Senegal website in 2021. COVID-19 has created an increased risk of malnutrition among children in Senegal due to its wide-reaching socio-economic impact. The pandemic affected all aspects of Senegal’s health system and early in the crisis access to nutrition services was often impaired, threatening…

This report presents findings of a study on the influence of formula milk marketing on infant feeding in China, as part of a global study conducted in eight countries. The research sought to document the extent of formula milk marketing, how formula milk marketing messages are perceived by women and influencers, and their effect on knowledge and values. Results also point to a need for extended regulations, and stricter enforcements of current regulations on the marketing of formula milk in China.

  This article was first published on the UNICEF DRC website. In the second half of 2021, 2-year-old Gadi's health began to deteriorate. The normally happy little boy from the Democratic Republic of the Congo had lost his appetite and was visibly losing weight. “I was getting more and more worried about Gadi's health,” recalls Gadi's mother,…

This article was first published on the UNICEF DRC website. UVIRA TERRITORY, SOUTH KIVU PROVINCE, DR Congo – Full of joy and relief, Marita looks at her little girl who, was once extremely weak. "She could no longer stand or play," the mother recalls. It was thanks to therapeutic food received at a UNICEF-supported health centre that the little…

Good food and nutrition are the foundation of children’s health and bring benefits that can last a lifetime. Teaching your child about healthy eating from a young age will help them to have a positive relationship with food well into adulthood. And believe it or not, shaping these habits can be fun and healthy – not just for your child, but your…, 1. Promote positive habits, Your little ones watch everything you do – including at mealtime. You can be a good role model by reaching for healthy foods, beverages and snacks yourself, and engaging in fun physical activity. Choosing to put healthy, whole foods on the table sets a great example for your child. Try including your children in food shopping and preparation. They…, 2. Maintain a healthy relationship with food, Having a healthy mindset around eating is key for lifelong health and protecting against illnesses like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. You can help guide your young child by: Helping them understand whether they are physically hungry. This will help them to become in tune with their body’s needs. Staying away from using food as a reward or…, 3. Let go of “clean your plate!”, Although you might think this could help your child get the nutrients needed from food, these behaviours can lead to disliking foods and having negative associations with mealtime. If you can’t get your child to eat their veggies, try to have them see you eating and enjoying them yourself. Your little one learns about food choices from you, so try…, 4. Make portion control a priority, Oversized portions can lead to weight gain, so it is important to teach your children about how much food they should have on their plate. An easy way to teach your child about child-portion sizes is to use visuals for example: A closed fist is recommended for a portion of pasta, rice or cereal. A meat portion should be about as big as their palm…, 5. Start the day with a healthy breakfast, Mornings can be a rush for many families, but starting the day with a balanced meal helps your child get the important nutrients – such as calcium and fibre – needed for their growth and development. Try to create breakfasts with nutrient-dense ingredients like plain yoghurt and fresh fruit instead of sweetened cereals or pastries, which tend to…, 6. Make activity fun, Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Why not join in the fun? Try to plan family activities that get everyone moving such as after-dinner walks or swimming. And be spontaneous when you see an opportunity, like dancing together when a favourite song comes on the radio. It is also important to encourage your child to limit…

Nutrition is vital to the physical growth and psychological development of infants and young children.  Good nutrition and scientific feeding can help children grow healthily, prevent disease, enhance intellectual development, and thus influence their development throughout their lives. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals propose to eliminate all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The State Council released the Evaluation plan on ‘Healthy China’(〔2019〕13), which proposes to implement the action of promoting maternal and child health, and calls that there should be active guidance for families to breed and nurture new life healthily and scientifically. The infant and young child feeding counselling is an important measure to promote appropriate nurturing, and implement the concept that parents are the first to shoulder the responsibility of children’s health. Thus, it is an important step of children’s healthcare. The healthcare workers directly face people, which makes them the main force to promote scientific infant and young children feeding knowledge. They should master accurate and authoritative knowledge, they should skillfully use appropriate techniques when counselling, so that family nurturing would be more efficient and children’s health would be improved. To this end, the Department of Maternal and Child Health of NHC and UNICEF together compiled this book, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Counselling: A Training Curriculum and Practical Guide for Primary Health Workers. The aim is to raise more attention from not only healthcare workers, but also the whole society, to infant and young child feeding counselling as well as appropriate children nurturing. In this way, families would be guided to raise healthy new lives scientifically, and eventually, the implementation of the Healthy China Initiative would be promoted. This book is based on the generic community based Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling Package released by UNICEF and the World Health Organization in 2010. Many countries have adopted this package and have seen the healthcare worker’s ability of IYCF counselling obviously improved. Based on the actual conditions of China, UNICEF China introduced this package, organized the translation and compilation work in 2018, and carried out trail training and applications in Beijing, Qinghai and many other districts. It shows that short-term training can help healthcare workers grasp basic IYCF knowledge and counselling techniques quickly and accurately, which effectively promotes family feeding improvement. On this basis, we organized experts and organizations to repeatedly study and improve the book, the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Counselling: A Training Curriculum and Practical Guide for Primary Health Workers , before it eventually comes out. The book is divided into 15 chapters. Closely integrated with teaching, training and actual practice, this book highlights the training of basic IYCF theory, practical skills and counselling techniques to healthcare workers, helps them to grasp key knowledge and improve their counselling service. To facilitate promotion and ensure the effectiveness, this book is accompanied with counselling tools and PowerPoint slides. They are available on www.chinawch.org.cn and www.unicef.cn for free. Organization and Preparation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, National Health Commission, UNICEF China Technical Support: National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China CDC, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Chinese Nutrition Society The photo and content in this pacakge are protected by copyright. Appendix I  IYCF Counselling Cards: 16 colorful Counselling Cards on scientific IYCF recommendations to demonstrate key concepts and behaviors. The Counselling Cards can be used by primary health workers in discussions with parents and caregivers. Appendix II Counselling Cards and Key Discussion Points/Messages: Depending on the specific situation of children and families, primary-level staff can select 2-3 priority discussions on the Counselling Cards for instruction and guidance in their work.

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 22 February 2022 – More than half of parents and pregnant women (51 per cent) surveyed for a new WHO/UNICEF report say they have been targeted with marketing from formula milk companies, much of which is in breach of international standards on infant feeding practices. The report, How marketing of formula milk influences our…

How marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding, systematically examines women’s and health professionals’ experiences of formula milk marketing. The largest ever study of its kind, it draws on surveys with over 8 500 pregnant women and mothers of young children (aged 0-18 months) across eight countries, and more than 300 health professionals. The study, commissioned by WHO and UNICEF, was undertaken between August 2019 and April 2021 by a specialist research team with commercial marketing and behavior change expertise, and conducted in eight countries – Bangladesh, China, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), and Viet Nam. The report exposes the aggressive marketing practices used by the formula milk industry, and highlights impacts on families' decisions about how to feed their infants and young children.