THE CHILD HEALTH PROGRAMS

( NEWBORNS, INFANTS AND

CHILDREN)

Are vulnerable age group for common

childhood diseases
Risk for infection are high when:
 not screened for metabolic disorders,
 not exclusively breastfed,
unvaccinated,
 not properly managed when sick, and
not given with vitamin supplementation
 CHILD HEALTH PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS
PROBLEMS CREATED AND AVAILABLE IN ALL
HEALTH FACILITIES:
Infant and young child feeding
Newborn screening
 EPI
 Management of Childhood Illnesses
 Micronutrient Supplementation
 Dental Health
 Early Child Development
 Child Health Injuries

MAIN GOAL: is to reduce morbidity and mortality

rates for children 0-9 years with the strategies
necessary for program implementation
 STRATEGIES THRUSTS FOR 2005-2010:
1.Develop local capacity to deliver the whole
range of essential health packages for
children. Pursue sentrong sigla initiative and
identify priority areas for health systems
development
2. Implement programs and projects that
favour disadvantage populations. (children
with disabilities, in areas of armed conflict,
street children, indigenous, and the like)
3.Reaching Every Barangay (REB) strategy
for immunization to reach every child
4. Intensify health education and
information campaigns at the ground level
to increase the proportion of mothers
practicing behaviours that promote
children’ health (breastfeeding,
immunization, knowledge on the danger
signs of common childhood diseases and
control of child labor and other child
abuse practices.
5. Enhance medical, nursing, midwifery education
with cost-effective life saving strategies such as
IMCI and the Basic Emergency Obstetric Care

6. Pursue the implementation of laws and policies

for the protection of newborns, infants and children:

Early Childhood development act of 2000

Newborn Screening Act of 2004
EO 286 for the Bright Child Program
EO 51 – Milk Code
 Rooming-In
 Breastfeeding Act
A.INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD FEEDING
Good nutrition in early months and years of life
affects:
 health and survival of infants and children
 Intellectual and social development
 Life-long impact on school performance
 Overall productivity
Exclusively Breastfed children: (during the first
half of life)
 Prevents infant and childhood morbidity and
mortality
Timely, adequate, safe and proper
complementary feeding
 prevent childhood malnutrition
Mother’s health and nutrition is also
important:
Intrauterine life effectively
establishes the potential for ultimate
growth and development of the child
 (during pre pregnancy and
pregnancy) affects the weight of the
baby at birth
Low birth weight of the baby at birth
increase risk of infection, death, and
long term ill health
INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD
FEEDING (IYCF)

-Issued by WHO and UNICEF (2002)

- to reverse disturbing trend in infant

and young child feeding practices
STRATEGY IYCF:
BREASTFEEDING
Promotion of breast milk
 ideal food for the healthy growth and
development of infants
Exclusive BF for the first 6 months of life:
achieve optimal growth, development and
health of newborns
Infants should receive nutritionally
adequate safe complementary foods while
breastfeeding continues for up to two years
of age and beyond
BF is a learned behaviour.
All mothers need accurate information and
skilled support and counselling within their
families, communities and health care
system’s to successfully breastfeed

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:
- Is to improve the survival of infants and
young children by improving their nutritional
status, growth and development through
optimal feeding
 THE NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR 2005-
2010 FOR IYCF

GOAL:
-Reduce Child Mortality Rate by 2/3 by 2015

OBJECTIVE:
-To improve health and nutrition status of infants
and young children

OUTCOME:
- To improve exclusive and extended breastfeeding
and complementary feeding
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

1.70% of newborns are initiated to

breastfeeding within one hour after birth
2.60% of infants are exclusively breastfed
up to 6 months
3.90% of infants are started on
complementary feeding by 6 months of age
4.Median duration of breastfeeding is 18
months
KEY MESSAGES ON INFANT AND YOUNG
CHILD FEEDING:

Initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour after

birth
 Exclusive for the first 6 months of life
(means giving a baby only breast milk, and
no other liquids or solids, not even water)
 complemented at 6 months with
appropriate foods, excluding milk
supplements
Extend breastfeeding up to 2 years and
beyond
 BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING:

A.TO INFANTS
-Provides a nutritional complete food for the
young infant
-Strengthens the infants immune system,
preventing many infections
-Safely rehydrates and provides essential
nutrients to a sick child, especially to those
suffering from diarrheal diseases
-Reduces the infants exposure to infection
-Increase IQ points
B. TO MOTHER
-Reduces woman’s risk of excessive blood loss
after birth
- provides natural methods of delaying pregnancies
- reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancers
and osteoporosis

C. TO HOUSEHOLD AND THE COMMUNITY

-Conserve funds that otherwise would be spent on
breast milk substitute, supplies and fuel to prepare
them
-Saves medical cost to families and government by
preventing illnesses and by providing immediate
postpartum and contraception
 NATIONAL IYCF STRATEGY:

A.HEALTH FACILITIES
-mother-baby friendly hospitals
-Health workers: advocates, protectors,
promoters of IYCF
-Enforcers of laws not violators

B. FAMILY/COMMUNITY
-Supportive family
-Milk code “vigilantes”
-Lay/peer councelors
-IYCF “bayanihan” spirit
-Mother-baby friendly public places
C. WORKING PLACES
-Maternity leave
- lactation/breastfeeding rooms
-Breastfeeding breaks

D. INDUSTRY
-Comply with the “code”
- apply Codex Alimentarius standards

E. SCHOOLS
-Introducing the “breastfeeding culture”
COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING
-After 6 months of age, all babies require other
foods to complement breast milk.
- but BF should still continue for up to 2 years and
beyond

a.TIMELY
-They are introduced when the need for energy
and nutrients exceeds what can be provided
through exclusive and frequent breastfeeding

b. ADEQUATE
- They provide sufficeint energy, CHON, and
micronutirnts to meet a growing child’s nutritional
needs
c. SAFE
-They are hygienically stored and prepared
and fed with clean hands using clean hands
using clean utensils and not bottles and
treats

d. PROPERLY FED
- They are given consistent with a child’s
signals of hunger and that meal frequency
and feeding methods are suitable for the
child’s age
LO W BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES

-Means birth weight of less than 2500

grams
- who are born before term
- who are premature
- babies who are small for their
gestational age
- RISK FOR INFECTION
BABIES BORN AT TERM
-Suckle effectively
- often very hungry and need to be breastfed
more often than larger babies

BABIES BORN PRE TERM

-May have difficulty suckling effectively at first
- they can be fed on breast milk by tube or
cup
- breastfeeding is easier for these babies than
bottle feeding
 FLUIDS NEEDS OF THE YOUNG CHILD
Exclusive breastfeeding children receives all the
liquid they need in the breast milk.
 extra fluid is needed if the child has a fever or
diarrhea

a.Water is good for thirst. Too much fruit juice can

cause diarrhea and may reduce the child’s appetite
for foods
b.Drinks that contain a lot of sugar may actually
make the child thirstier as their body has to deal
with the extra sugar. Look for fruit juices that has
lesser added sugar contents. FIZZY DRINKS
(sodas) are not suitable for young children
c. TEAS AND COFFEE reduce the IRON
that is absorbed from foods. Should not be
given at the same time as food or within 2
hours before or after food.

d. Sometimes a child is thirsty during a meal.

A small drink will satisfy the thirst and they
may then eat more of their meal

e. Drinks should not replace