Protection, Promotion and Support of Healthy Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding

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The Essential Nutrition Actions (ENAs) Approach

Healthy complementary Feeding for Children 6-35 months

1. Complementary feeding for children after completion of 6 months of age up to one year

All mothers are counselled by a trained service provider on how to:

• Start complementary feeding after completion of 6 months of age and why.
• Continue breastfeeding.
• Provide children with frequent small feeds throughout the day
• Increase the amount and density of food as the child gets older and use a separate bowl for each child.
• Ensure the child has a variety of food including energy-dense foods and fortified foods.
• Interact with the child during feeding (active feeding)
• Safely prepare and store the child's food.

For more information, check FADUA criteria

2. Complementary feeding for children from one to three years

All mothers are counselled by a trained service provider to:

• Continue breastfeeding up to two years (if not HIV positive).
• Maintain the healthy feeding habits started after completion of 6 months of age (FADUA: frequency, amount, density, use of food and active feeding).
• Make the best use of available family food.
• Prevent bad feeding habits (sweetened foods and fizzy drinks).
• Introduce the child to good hygiene practices before and while eating.

Complementary feeding guidelines - India
A very comprehensive overview of appropriate complementary feeds

3. Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS ( (PMTCT)  

• All HIV positive mothers should be supported on infant feeding in the context of HIV

4. Control of Child Iron Deficiency Anaemia
    
5. Control of Child Vitamin A Deficiency
    
6. Monthly Growth Monitoring and Promotion

• All children are monthly weighed and their growth is plotted on the Growth Monitoring Chart.
   
• Their mothers are adequately informed and counselled using the counselling Cards.
   
• Children who do not gain weight for more than two months or are losing weight or fall below the bottom line are promptly referred / treated.
   
• The Table of Minimum Expected Weight Gain gives the expected weights after one month and after two months. It can be used to check on a child's growth.
   
• Plotting on the Child Health Card can not be continued from the previous session if the child has missed one missed one monthly weighing session.

02 January, 2009