USAID Advancing Nutrition develops, curates, packages, and shares multi-sectoral nutrition knowledge to help you stay on top of developments and evidence in global nutrition programming.
Nutrition Integration for the Children with Special Needs: A Facilitator’s Guide for Food Security, Nutrition, Livelihoods and Disability Inclusion Project Staffs
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BreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
This training supports the integration of disability inclusion into nutrition programming by providing information on the nutritional concerns of children with disabilities.
Early Childhood DevelopmentChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
The Global Child Thrive Act recognizes that the future health, prosperity, and stability of individuals and societies require promoting and protecting young children’s development, which necessitates coordination and integrated approaches across various sectors, including health; nutrition; child protection; water, sanitation, and hygiene; and education.
Sustainability and Scalability of Egg Consumption in Burkina Faso for Infant and Young Child Feeding
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
Mothers who received the Un Oeuf intervention overcame barriers to feeding their child an egg every day, improved their livelihoods, demonstrated motivation to continue feeding their child eggs, and saw the addition of eggs as sustainable. Research to explore the number of household chickens necessary to continuously feed a child one egg per day is important.
Association of BCC Module Roll-Out in SHG Meetings with Changes in Complementary Feeding and Dietary Diversity Among Children (6–23 months)? Evidence from JEEViKA in Rural Bihar, India
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderComplementary FeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This research article explores how behavior change communication intervention in India increased adequate dietary diversity and knowledge and awareness of complementary feeding.
Adequate Dietary Intake and Consumption of Indigenous Fermented Products Are Associated with Improved Nutrition Status among Children Aged 6–23 Months in Zambia
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderFood SystemsInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Researchers found a significant association between height-for-age and weight-for-age z-scores and fermented milk consumption in Zambia. Authors call for greater mapping and promotion of traditionally fermented foods and more research to better understand associated health benefits.
Primary Health Care Integration Landscape Analysis: Literature Review Findings
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Nutrition and Health SystemsChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
This literature review synthesizes information about the current integration of immunization and primary health care services in low- and middle-income countries. Some facilities have also integrated nutrition services into reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health or immunization services.
High Consumption of Unhealthy Commercial Foods and Beverages Tracks Across the Complementary Feeding Period in Rural/Peri-Urban Cambodia
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Nutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeedingComplementary FeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
The high frequency of unhealthy commercial food and beverage consumption during the complementary feeding period requires early interventions to increase caregiver awareness of the risks; promote increased breastfeeding; and encourage consumption of affordable, nutritious, and locally available foods.
Benefits of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements for Child Nutrition and Survival Warrant Moving to Scale
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningNutrition in Humanitarian ContextsAnemiaBreastfeedingChild NutritionComplementary FeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient InterventionsNutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS)
Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements are a highly cost-effective intervention to reduce relative risk of mortality, severe wasting and stunting, iron deficiency anemia, and developmental delay between 6 and 23 months of age.
Fortified Balanced Energy–Protein Supplementation During Pregnancy and Lactation and Infant Growth in Rural Burkina Faso: A 2 × 2 Factorial Individually Randomized Controlled Trial
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient Interventions
During this study in Burkina Faso, the benefits of daily fortified balanced energy–protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation size at birth were sustained during infancy.
Knowledge ManagementWastingBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient Interventions
Authors discuss the scope of child wasting and where it is most common, urge early detection and action, examine the importance of ready-to-use therapeutic food, and outline UNICEF priorities.
Project Year 4 Summary: Priorities and Key Accomplishments
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Knowledge ManagementCOVID-19Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient InterventionsPrivate-Sector Engagement
USAID Advancing Nutrition partnered with governments and local stakeholders to build strong programming foundations and to facilitate, coordinate, and track progress to achieve and sustain national nutrition objectives.
Early Childhood DevelopmentChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This guide explores the rationale for giving greater attention to responsive caregiving; opportunities for early learning, safety, and security; and supporting the well-being of caregivers. It describes what managers can do to develop services and better equip service providers and provides practical suggestions for service provider engagement with families.
Home Environment and Nutritional Status Mitigate the Wealth Gap in Child Development: A Longitudinal Study in Vietnam
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Early Childhood DevelopmentChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient Interventions
Wealth-related gaps in cognitive development found during early childhood increased in middle childhood. Maternal factors, quality of home environment, and child nutritional status mitigated this gap in early childhood more than in middle childhood.
Strengthening Organizational Capacity: Lessons Learned From MOMENTUM
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Capacity StrengtheningChild NutritionCOVID-19Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionWater, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Case studies in this report share learning from Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda on how MOMENTUM strengthens the capacity of partner organizations. Recommendations share how to increase organizational capacity to foster self-determination, produce sustainable results, align systems for agility, and attract and sustain support.
Investing in Nutrition—A Global Best Investment Case
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningWastingComplementary FeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation and complementary feeding promotion (CFP) for children 6−23 months of age reduced premature births, low birth weight, and stillbirths. The benefit-cost ratio was lowest for CFP for children in the three lowest socio-economic status quintiles due to the high cost of accomplishing behavior change in these households.
Frontline Nutrition Services: Roles, Responsibilities, and Pre-Service Training
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Capacity StrengtheningAdolescent NutritionBreastfeedingGrowth Monitoring and PromotionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
Findings identify competencies that pre-service curricula may not currently address and provide a roadmap to develop tailored, country- and cadre-specific updates to policies, protocols, pre-service training curricula, job descriptions, qualifications, and certification tools.
Learning From Health System Actor and Caregiver Experiences in Ghana and Nepal to Strengthen Growth Monitoring and Promotion
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningNutrition and Health SystemsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderEarly Childhood DevelopmentInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
GMP of infants and young children is a fundamental component of routine preventive child health care; however, programs have experienced varying degrees of quality and success with enduring challenges.
Strengthening Implementation of Home-Based Records for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health: A Guide for Country Programme Managers
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Early Childhood DevelopmentNutrition and Health SystemsGrowth Monitoring and PromotionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This guide provides decision-making tools and activities, links to existing resources, and examples from countries to strengthen efforts planning, designing, implementing, and monitoring home-based records.
Reducing Inequities in Maternal and Child Health in Rural Guatemala Through the CBIO+ Approach of Curamericas: Paper 4. Nutrition-Related Activities and Changes in Childhood Stunting, Wasting, and Underweight
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningNutrition and Health SystemsChild NutritionGrowth Monitoring and PromotionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionNutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS)
In Guatemala, the inclusion of care groups and community birthing centers in the Census-Based, Impact-Oriented Approach intervention produced a decline in the prevalence of stunting and measures of undernutrition in children under age two compared with the control group. Authors call for the broader application and further evaluation of this approach.
Effectiveness of Dietary Management for Moderate Wasting among Children > 6 Months of Age—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Exploring Different Types, Quantities, and Durations
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningNutrition and Health SystemsWastingChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient Interventions
Lipid-based nutrient supplements are comparable to fortified blended foods (FBFs) with improved micronutrient and/or milk content but superior to non-enhanced FBFs. The choice of supplement should consider cost, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability. Further research is important to determine optimal dosing and duration of supplementation.