Infant and Young Child Feeding: Model Chapter for Textbooks for Medical Students and Allied Health Professionals

Excerpt

This Model Chapter brings together essential knowledge about infant and young child feeding that health professionals should acquire as part of their basic education. It focuses on nutritional needs and feeding practices in children less than two years of age – the most critical period for child nutrition after which sub-optimal growth is hard to reverse. The Chapter does not impart skills, although it includes descriptions of essential skills that every health professional should master, such as positioning and attachment for breastfeeding.

The Model Chapter is organized in nine sessions according to topic areas, with scientific references at the end of each section. These references include articles or WHO documents that provide evidence and further information about specific points.