Complementary Feeding For Children

 “Breastfeeding for 2 years or longer helps children to develop and grow strong and healthy” 

Complementary feeding means giving other foods in addition to breast milk starting at 6 month of age and continuing until the infant is 2 years old. The periods from six months of age until 24 month of age is critical to a child’s growth and develop their brain. You, as health workers, have an important role in helping families during this critical time.

Breastfeeding for 2 years or longer helps a child to develop and grow strong and healthy. From 6-12 months, breastfeeding continues to provide half or more of the child’s nutritional needs, and from 12-24 months, at least one-third of their nutritional needs.

As well as good nutrition, breastfeeding continues to provide protection to the child against many illnesses and provides closeness and contact that helps the infant and young child’s psychological development.
 

All children should receive complementary foods and continue to breastfeed until they are at least 2 years old. Many Cambodian children stop breastfeeding too early (before they are 2 years old) and many are not fed the proper complementary food or enough times each day. These two problems are the main reasons for malnutrition in young children in Cambodian.