Moving Ahead with Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition: Need to Integrate Actions

This Supplement is the second in a series devoted to focusing attention on the need to improve maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) across the different stages of the key “window of opportunity” from preconception through pregnancy, the period of exclusive breastfeeding (0 to 6 months), and the target age for complementary feeding (6 to 24 months). It brings together a broad range of expertise from around the world. These papers are linked to an international dialogue to build support for MIYCN programs in a series of meetings, including those held at the Micronutrient Forum in Beijing in 2009 and the International Congress of Nutrition in Bangkok in 2009. As with last year’s Supplement [1], this volume covers topics such as how to enhance women’s nutrition, improve breastfeeding practices, and optimize the composition of complementary foods. Additionally, this Supplement includes papers discussing evaluations of programmatic interventions and why integrating child nutrition with early child development interventions can have multiple benefits for child growth and development. The role of policy, such as changes in the international Codex Alimentarius guidelines, is also highlighted. Although action is needed at each of the above stages of the life cycle, it is imperative that we find means to integrate actions to achieve greater impact and efficiency. For example, production of fortified foods that can be used for both pregnant women and young children, with minor changes in micronutrient content and serving sizes, will help address problems of anemia and other micronutrient deficiencies in both target groups, as well as low body mass index in women and stunting in children [2, 3]. Such efforts can also help to reduce costs of products and facilitate their manufacture and distribution through public–private partnerships. Linking messages on the need for iron supplementation to reduce anemia before and during pregnancy with information on immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, delayed cord clamping, and how to improve maternal–child interaction can have longlasting impacts on both maternal health and child development. Similarly, combining behavior change approaches for enhancing complementary feeding and encouraging simple play activities can help enhance child growth and development. We hope that soon we will have illustrations of how such actions have been integrated at large scale.