5/11/2010 - 11:53 am

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Policy support for infants and young children feeding in Vietnam

This qualitative study, approved by the Ministry of Health, conducted with 42 leaders from national agencies, government departments, mass media organizations, medical associations and hospitals in the year 2010. The study was implemented under the scope of the Alive and Thrive project Vietnam. The interviewed respondents acknowledge the values of breast milk and support the promotion of breastfeeding.  Said stakeholders recognized the changes in young mother’s breastfeeding and practices and the underlying reasons for not doing it for example: workload; inappropriateness of maternity leave policy; formula advertisement; poor knowledge;  environment that does not allow or encourage it and poor instructions from health workers. It is obvious that the key areas for improving nutrition problems in Vietnam over the next decade are: to reduce rates of stunted children malnutrition; increase the height of Vietnamese children and improve food fortification. This information has been communicated to policy makers by the National Institute of Nutrition.