Infant and Young Child Nutrition
Nutrition Security in the first 1000 days of a child's life - from conception to two years of age - is vital to their survival and long-term health.
Malnutrition during pregnancy and infancy can result in early death, disability, poor cognitive development and diminished earning capacity later in life. Exclusive breastfeeding saves lives. NCP supports the Philippine Department of Health's Exclusive Breastfeeding Campaign (BFTSEk), providing technical assistance in the training of peer-counselors. Semi-solid food introduced at six months (not earlier) with at least four food groups, three to four times a day. NCP provides training on complementary feeding; promoting the benefits of diet diversity, frequency and the presence of iron-rich sources of food. Through our Pabasa Sa Nutrtisyon courses, we empower communities to teach each other the benefits of diet diversity, exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding for infants. Micronutrient Powders (MNP). NCP, through it's subsidiary company, Philippine Nutri-Foods, produces micronutrient powders for infants aged 6 to 23 months containing 15 essential vitamins and minerals, providing 100% of an infant's Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI). Ask about Vita Meena, our new MNP containing 22 vitamins and minerals. |
Infant and Young Child Nutrition Research and Programs
Micronutrient Powder in times of disaster: Camotes Islands MNP distribution post Typhoon Haiyan
Boxes of NCP's micronutrient powder (Nutri-Foods MNP) were distributed to more than 2000 infants across two municipalities during the immediate rehabilitation period after Typhoon Haiyan, in 2013. Our nutritionists trained barangay midwives in complementary feeding techniques using micronutrient powders, who then demonstrated its use to groups of mothers with infants aged 6 - 23 months. Nutri-Foods MNP - contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals - providing 100% of the Recommended Nutrition Intake (RNI) for infants and young children, making it a critical tool in the prevention of malnutrition after natural disaster. NCP continues to produce and distribute Nutri-Foods MNP to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas throughout the Philippines, through it's subsidiary company Philippine Nutri-Foods Corporation. NCP also provides the Philippine Department of Health with same quality MNP under their preferred brand name of Vita-Mix. |
Peer-to-peer counsellors teach exclusive breastfeeding (BFTSEk) for the first six months of life
The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) has enacted legislation, policies and programs that provide an enabling environment to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (4 and 5), targeting maternal and infant health. NCP facilitates the recruitment, training and mentoring of community-based peer counsellors, enrolled in the DOH's BFTSEk program (Breastfeeding Tama Sapat Eksklusiblo). The campaign focuses on educating women in the community on the benefits of breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a child's life, through peer-to-peer counseling. In 2014, NCP had trained close to 2000 peer counsellors across 14 cities, in the Philippines. NCP continues to identify good practices and enabling mechanisms, such as the involvement of a program coordinator, visible community events and local legislation. However, the scale and sustainability of the BFTSEk program continues to face several challenges, such as the turnover of local officials, lack of proper incentives and the need for continuous advocacy. |
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Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is among of the key stategies identified by the WHO and UNICEF to decrease child mortality worldwide. However, only less than 1/3 of infants are being exclusively breastfed in the Philippines. NCP's Dr. Ema Parian talks about the Department of Health's campaign in promotion of breastfeeding called, BFTSEK: Breastfeeding Tama, Sapat at Ekslusibo and the personal views of the Peer Counsellor and Mother touched by this campaign.
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