Infant and young child feeding

Great Mothers, Healthy Children Campaign

In May 2013, SPRING/Uganda conducted emotion-based formative research investigating child feeding practices during and after illness and perceptions about malnutrition in the first two years after birth. Using projective techniques, the team sought to determine what emotion-based "hot buttons" will move parents of children 0-2 years of age to take nutrition-specific actions when their child is sick.

Training of Coaches on Community Infant and Young Child Feeding in Nigeria - Phase Two

In early and late May, 2014, SPRING conducted two five-day IYCF trainings. Participants were drawn from civil society organizations supported by the USAID/Umbrella Grant Mechanism partners (SMILE and STEER), as well as the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development. A total of 52 participants were trained, with 24 participants attending from Edo state, and 28 participants attending from Kaduna state.

Training of Trainers on Community Infant and Young Child Feeding in Nigeria

In 2013, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria led a process to produce training materials on community infant and young child feeding. SPRING/Nigeria, which was involved in the development of the package, is now rolling out the training to all relevant stakeholders.

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Evaluation of the Community IYCF Counseling Package

Background

Community based infant and young child feeding (IYCF) promotion, counseling, and support has been acknowledged as one of the key pillars for improving nutritional status during the crit

Contributing to National-Level Nutrition Coordination and Policy Efforts

SPRING and its partners catalyze national-level dialogue around nutrition. Specifically, SPRING supports the secretariat of the Government-led IYCF technical working group, where the project is recognized as a great contributor with in-depth, technical nutrition knowledge. In addition, SPRING participates in other national nutrition coordination and technical fora, including the Civil Society for Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), National Nutrition Partners Meeting, and Nutrition Society of Nigeria.

Building Local Partners’ Capacity to Implement Infant and Young Child Feeding Interventions

In August 2013, SPRING and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) formally launched the Nigeria Community and Facility Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Package for its use in uniform training and information sharing throughout Nigeria.

Counseling Toward Healthier Communities

Jesmin is a community health care provider at the Krisnakathi Community Clinic in the southern delta region of Bangladesh. Her training did not prepare her to counsel new mothers, especially those who are lactating, on topics such as when and what to feed their infants or concerns that their infants were not receiving enough milk. Without the proper training, Jesmin felt she could not provide the correct information until SPRING trained her on essential nutrition and hygiene actions.

State of the World's Children in Numbers

UNICEF (2014)

The Nigeria Community and Facility Infant and Young Child Feeding Package

Studies in Nigeria indicate a high prevalence of undernutrition among under-five children, including a 41% stunting rate and a 14% wasting rate (NDHS 2008,

Building National Capacity in Nigeria around Infant and Young Child Feeding

Although global trends indicate a gradual decline in rates of stunting, Nigeria’s rates are increasing. Nigeria has an alarming number of stunted children (41% of Nigerian children under five years of age) and one of the highest rates of stunting in the world. Poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are partly to blame.