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Complementary Breastfeeding
Complementary feeding means giving foods in addition to breastmilk.
Malnutrition can result from suboptimal breastfeeding practices, poor
quality complementary foods, detrimental feeding practices, and
contamination of complementary food and feeding utensils. The second half
of an infant's first year is an especially vulnerable time because infants
are learning to eat and must be fed soft foods frequently and patiently.
If nutritional intake is inadequate, the consequences persist throughout
life.
Rehydration Project promotes the introduction of appropriate complementary foods at
six months with increased feeding frequency and changes in food
consistency, quantity, and diversity as the child ages.
Rehydration Project
emphasizes the importance of breastmilk as an important source of energy,
protein, and micronutrients during this period. We
promote the increase of timely complementary
feeding among infants 6 through 9 months and testing of approaches for
improving feeding practices. We aim to work with international
and national partners to promote a set of unified, scientifically based
guidelines on complementary feeding and to develop appropriate
complementary feeding indicators.
More information on Complementary Feeding from
Linkages
Project |
updated: 23 April, 2014
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