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.
Identifying and Interrupting Fecal-Oral Pathways in Young Children
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Knowledge ManagementChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
This guide helps Resilience Food Security Activity implementing partners determine whether they need to conduct research to identify and prioritize fecal-oral pathways for infants and young children. It provides guidance about how to design formative research activities and explores appropriate data collection methods for measuring the effectiveness of interventions.
Mapping and Gap Analysis of Tools for Complementary Feeding in Emergencies
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsImproving Women and Children’s Diets in Emergency ContextsComplementary FeedingEmergency NutritionFood AssistanceInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Wasting
Recognizing the importance of protecting, maintaining, and potentially improving the diets of children under the age of two, there has been an increased focus on supporting infant and young child feeding in emergency contexts in recent years.
Response to Malnutrition Treatment in Low Weight-For-Age Children: Secondary Analyses of Children 6-59 Months in the Compas Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
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WastingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Weight-for-age z-score is not an admission criterion to therapeutic feeding programs & children with low WAZ at high risk of mortality may not be admitted.
Research Methods for Studies Looking at the Relationship Between Wasting and Stunting
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Early Childhood DevelopmentInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This technical brief shares the extensive experience of the Wasting and Stunting Technical Interest Group (WaSt-TIG) in scrutinising data through the lens of the relationship between wasting and stunting in the hope that it will inspire and facilitate others to do the same.
Learning to Respond to Social Norms to Improve Maternal and Child Nutrition
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBehavior Change for NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
By understanding social norms and engaging those who influence them, practitioners can better monitor and measure shifts that influence dietary practices. This session was presented at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition in December 2022.
Integrating Responsive Care and Early Learning into Nutrition Delivery to Improve Early Childhood Outcomes In Mozambique
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Early Childhood DevelopmentResponsive Care and Early Learning Addendum for IYCF CounselingEarly Childhood DevelopmentFood SystemsInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
USAID Advancing Nutrition explored the feasibility and impact of integrating responsive care, early learning, and monitoring children’s development into nutrition and health services in Mozambique. This poster was presented at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition in December 2022.
Testing the Responsive Care and Early Learning Counseling Package to Improve Early Childhood Outcomes through Nutrition Services in Ghana and the Kyrgyz Republic
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Early Childhood DevelopmentResponsive Care and Early Learning Addendum for IYCF CounselingNutrition and Health SystemsEarly Childhood DevelopmentInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This poster outlines a package of responsive care and early learning materials developed to integrate components of nurturing care into nutrition and health services. USAID Advancing Nutrition tested whether their implementation results in improved caregiving practices.
Nutritional Care for Children with Feeding Difficulties and Disabilities: A Scoping Review - Poster
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Early Childhood DevelopmentEarly Childhood DevelopmentInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
To improve nutritional care for children with feeding difficulties and disabilities, USAID Advancing Nutrition conducted a scoping review of opportunities to improve support and interventions for families. This poster was presented at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition in December 2022.
Diet Quality Indicators for Children 6 to 23 Months: Comparing Two Assessment Methods in Cambodia
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This study compared methods to assess the diet quality of children under two in Cambodia to understand which method most accurately assesses consumption. This poster was presented at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition in December 2022.
Creating an Enabling Environment for Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: Two Country Case Study of Malawi and the Kyrgyz Republic
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Nutrition and Health SystemsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
To motivate increasing rates of initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, and duration, this poster shares country experiences building an enabling environment to help institutionalize the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. This poster was presented at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition in December 2022.
Counseling is Complex: Approaches and Tools to Improve Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling Quality
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Early Childhood DevelopmentNutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Nutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS)
Learn about key considerations, barriers, and opportunities for implementing counseling that improves infant and young child feeding in this interactive session. This session was presented at the 22nd International Congress of Nutrition in December 2022.
Strengthening the Continuum of Care for Wasting Management through Coordination and Collaboration: Findings from Facilitated Learning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsWasting Treatment and PreventionEmergency NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Wasting
The U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and the USAID Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) asked USAID Advancing Nutrition to undertake a facilitated learning activity on purposeful co-location of nutrition partners in four provinces in the DRC.
Improving Nutrition among Children with Feeding Difficulties and Disabilities: Call to Action for Policymakers
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Feeding and DisabilityWastingBreastfeedingComplementary FeedingEarly Childhood DevelopmentInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Feeding difficulties can negatively impact children’s growth and development, as well as the quality of life for themselves and their families. To better understand needs and opportunities in this area, USAID Advancing Nutrition conducted a scoping review of programs supporting nutritional care of children with feeding difficulties and disabilities.
Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplement Program Implementation
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsComplementary FeedingEmergency NutritionFood SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Micronutrient Interventions
This report describes a learning activity to 1) document the factors that promoted and/or hindered successful implementation of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) programs in highly food insecure contexts and 2) garner perspectives on considerations for scale-up.
Behavioral Solutions for Child Feeding Before and After Illness
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderChild NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Behavioral design guided the development of solutions that support families to continue feeding their young children during periods of illness and more food in the two weeks following an illness. Solutions also provide community- and facility-based health workers with resources and approaches to support families.
From Evidence to Action: Uniting Around Nutrition in the 1000-Day Window
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Nutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Improving nutrition security in the first 1,000 days requires long term investment in early childhood development, better integration of nutrition issues in the healthcare system, greater attention to nutrition among donors, and comprehensive implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Increased surveillance of pregnant and nursing people and young children is also critical.