Abstract

The World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative is an assessment process designed to facilitate an ongoing national appraisal of progress toward the goals of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. More than 80 countries have completed this national assessment, including the United States of America. This article describes the process undertaken by the US World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative team, the findings of the expert panel related to infant and young child feeding policies, programs, and practices and the ranking of the United States compared with the 83 other participating nations. Identified strengths of the United States include data collection and monitoring, especially by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and the United States Breastfeeding Committee. The absence of a national infant feeding policy, insufficient maternity protection, and lack of preparation for infant and young children feeding in emergencies are key targets identified by the assessment requiring concerted national effort.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.