Infant and young child feeding guidelines: 2010

Area of Science:

• Public Health Nutrition
• Pediatrics
• Maternal and Child Health

Background:

• National Guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) were first established in 2004 and revised in 2006.
• India aimed to halve underweight children by 2015, but progress was insufficient, necessitating updated guidelines.
• The need for scientifically accepted and viable national IYCF guidelines was identified.

Framework:

• A National Consultative Meet convened in 2009 involved key stakeholders including the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), WHO, UNICEF, and others.
• Presentations reviewed recent literature, followed by extensive discussions to reach a consensus.
• Guidelines were formulated based on expert review and collaborative deliberation.

Implementation:

• The objective was to formulate, endorse, adopt, and disseminate updated IYCF guidelines.
• Guidelines were developed from an Indian perspective, incorporating infant feeding in the context of HIV infection.
• The process involved a consensus-building approach among national and international experts.

Implications:

• Optimal IYCF strategy includes early breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and continued breastfeeding up to two years with complementary foods.
• Adequate nutrition and anemia control for adolescent girls, pregnant, and lactating mothers are also advocated.
• These revised guidelines aim to improve nutritional status and health outcomes for infants and young children in India.