The best start for infants and young children in the WHO European Region

Abstract

The present article highlights the importance of good complementary feeding practices in achieving optimum health, growth and development of infants and young children. A review of current infant and young child feeding practices in the WHO European Region, focusing particularly on countries of the former Soviet Union and Central Asian Republics, has identified a number of nutritional recommendations from the former Soviet era which differ from international standards. Other countries have no nutrition and feeding guidelines for this age group. A WHO Working Group was therefore established to produce updated recommendations on complementary feeding, which are appropriate for the WHO European Region. The publication "Nutrition and feeding guidelines for infants and young children in the WHO European Region, with emphasis on the Former Soviet Countries", is due to be published in autumn 2000