Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF)

Protecting the first 1,000 days of life through optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding support.

OVERVIEW

The first 1,000 days of life, from conception to a child’s second birthday, are the most critical window for growth, cognitive development, and lifelong health. The GIMPACS IYCF Programme promotes optimal feeding practices through evidence-based counselling, community engagement, and health systems strengthening, empowering mothers, fathers, and caregivers to give every child the best nutritional start.

The programme aligns with the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for IYCF, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and SDGs 2 and 3.

Strategic Objectives

Increase early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding rates.
Improve complementary feeding practices and dietary diversity among children aged 6–23 months.
Strengthen caregiver knowledge and confidence in optimal infant feeding.
Improve maternal nutritional status before, during, and after pregnancy.
Strengthen community support systems that encourage healthy infant feeding practices.
Build the capacity of health workers and community volunteers to provide quality IYCF counselling.

Implementation Strategies and Approaches

Exclusive Breastfeeding Promotion

Strategy: Promote exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months through an enabling environment for mothers and families.

Our Approach:

Encourage early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth with maternity facilities.
Provide individualized counselling during antenatal care, postnatal care, and outreach visits.
Support mothers facing common breastfeeding challenges such as poor attachment or engorgement.
Engage fathers, grandmothers, and community leaders to build supportive family environments.

Complementary Feeding Education

Strategy: Equip caregivers to provide safe, diverse, age-appropriate foods while continuing breastfeeding to age two.

Our Approach:

Conduct practical cooking demonstrations using affordable, locally available foods.
Train caregivers on meal frequency, dietary diversity, and age-appropriate portion sizes.
Promote food hygiene, safe preparation, storage, and handling practices.
Integrate education into growth monitoring, child welfare clinics, and immunization sessions.

Mother-to-Mother Support Groups

Strategy: Strengthen peer learning and community ownership of infant nutrition.

Our Approach:

Identify respected mothers and community nutrition champions as peer counsellors.
Facilitate regular support group meetings on breastfeeding and child care.
Use support groups as platforms for screening and early referral of vulnerable children.
Encourage father participation in selected sessions to strengthen family support.

Breastfeeding Counselling

Strategy: Provide continuous, evidence-based counselling that helps mothers initiate and sustain successful breastfeeding.

Our Approach:

Train health workers and volunteers using WHO and national IYCF counselling packages.
Provide one-on-one counselling during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period.
Support mothers of premature, low-birth-weight, or sick infants with specialized guidance.
Conduct home visits to reinforce counselling messages and provide personalized support.

Responsive Feeding

Strategy: Promote nurturing care and responsive feeding practices that support healthy growth and development.

Our Approach:

Educate caregivers to recognize and respond appropriately to children’s hunger and satiety cues.
Encourage patient, positive, and interactive feeding practices.
Support caregivers of children with disabilities or feeding difficulties.
Encourage shared caregiving responsibilities among fathers and other household members.

Maternal Nutrition Education

Strategy: Improve maternal nutritional status throughout pregnancy and lactation.

Our Approach:

Counsel women on balanced diets, dietary diversity, and healthy weight gain.
Support referrals for iron-folic acid, calcium supplementation, and deworming.
Educate women on the prevention and management of anaemia.
Link vulnerable women with food security, livelihood, and social protection programmes.

Cross-Cutting Implementation Approaches

Social and Behaviour Change: addressing cultural beliefs and misinformation that influence infant feeding decisions.
Community Systems Strengthening: building the capacity of Community Health Volunteers and Mother-to-Mother groups.
Health Systems Strengthening: integrating IYCF into routine maternal, newborn, and child healthcare.
Family-Centred Programming: engaging fathers, grandparents, and household decision-makers.
Equity, Inclusion and Gender Responsiveness: reaching adolescent mothers, IDPs, and persons with disabilities.
Accountability to Affected Populations: feedback and complaints mechanisms built into implementation.

Expected Outcomes

Through the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Programme, GIMPACS aims to achieve:

Increased rates of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding.
Improved complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months.
Enhanced caregiver knowledge and confidence in infant feeding.
Improved maternal nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy.
Stronger community support systems for breastfeeding and child nutrition.
Reduced prevalence of infant and young child malnutrition.

Explore Other Interventions

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See the full Nutrition Programme overview, priority groups, and areas of intervention.

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