Research Reports
Alive & Thrive project reports
| Formative Research Reports: IYCF practices, beliefs, and influences in EthiopiaAlive & Thrive Ethiopia undertook formative research to better understand the infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in communities in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's (SNNP) Region and the Tigray Region. The guiding questions for the formative research, conducted in late 2009, were the following:
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 | Infant and young child feeding in communities: A rapid assessment in Tigray and SNNPR, Ethiopia In late 2009 and early 2010, Alive & Thrive (A&T) conducted formative research studies on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, beliefs, and influences in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR) and Tigray region. To complement the findings of those studies, a rapid assessment was conducted to assess suitable channels for community behavior change communication (BCC), assess the training needs of health extension workers (HEWs) and voluntary community health promoters (VCHPs), and identify available BCC materials and possible needs. The assessment was conducted in SNNPR and TIgray by the in-counry A&T team. The assessment was qualitative and included 24 separate focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers, fathers, HEWs, and VCHPs in selected kebeles of six woredas of the two regional states (three from each). The FGDs helped to explore how and where HEWs and VCHPs identify pregnant and lactating mothers and what kinds of messages they deliver during different stages of pregnany and post-natal periods. In addition, the rapid assessment attempted to investigate HEWs' and VCHPs' perceptions of IYCF standard practices, preferred communication channels for getting information, access to mass media, the availability of and need for training and BCC materials, and potential partners to improve IYCF practices among the community. With fathers and HEWs, FGDs were also used to test concepts that could appeal to their emotion and inspire them to become committed to improving IYCF practices. Even though several of the concepts were more factual than emotional, fathers and HEWs understood the idea and showed great effort in selecting and prioritizing the concepts that attract their interest in a remarkable way. |
| This is a brief profile of the nutritional status of children under 5 years and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices for children 0-24 months for 14 provinces where Alive & Thrive plans to implement activities in Viet Nam |
External research reports
 | Breastfeeding in infancy: Identifying the program-relevant issues in Bangladesh International Breastfeeding Journal Authors: Haider R, Rasheed S, Sanghvi T, Hassan N, Pachon H, Islam S, Chowdhury SBJ Summary: In Bangladesh, many programs and projects have been promoting breastfeeding since the late 1980s. Breastfeeding practices, however, have not improved accordingly.This research report finds that gaps continue to exist in breastfeeding behaviors, mostly due to the lack of awareness as to why the recommended breastfeeding practices are beneficial, the risks of not practicing them, as well as how to practice them. Health workers' interactions for promoting and supporting optimal breastfeeding are extremely low. Counseling techniques should be used to reinforce specific, priority messages by health facility staff and community-based workers at all contact points with mothers of young infants. |
 | UNICEF Country ProfilesProfiles of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Viet Nam published by UNICEF, highlighting demographics, nutritional status, and infant and young child feeding statistics. Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition: A survival and development priority. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); 2008 Nov; 47-48. |
 | Factors affecting recruitment and retention of community health workers in a newborn care intervention in BangladeshHuman Resources for Health Authors: Rahman SM, Ali NA, Jennings L, Seraji MHR, Mannan I, Shah RZ, Mahmud ABA, Bari S, Hossain D, Das MK, Baqui A, Arifeen SE, Winch PJ Background: Well-trained and highly motivated community health workers (CHWs) are critical for deliver of many community-based newborn care interventions. HIgh rates of CHW attrition undermine programme effectiveness and potential for implementation at scale. The authors investigated reasons for high rates of CHW attrition in Sylhet District in north-eastern Bangladesh. |
 | A study in Guatemala shows that nutritional interventions before 3 years of age can have significant effects on height
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 | IFPRI: Investing in early childhood nutrition It has long been known that good nutrition is essential to children's physical and cognitive development, but recent evidence sheds new light on the optimal timing of interventions to improve child nutrition and the long-term effects of such interventions. |
 | Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices: Country profiles Simple, valid, and reliable indicators are essential to track progress and guide investment to improve nutrition and health during the first two years of life. This document gives details on indicators for assessing breastfeeding and complementary feeding that were agreed on by WHO, UNICEF and partners in 2007. IT presents information on infant and young child feeding practices for 46 countries for which data were available in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2002 and 2008. |
 | Infant and young child feeding: Bangladesh This case study is one of six in a review of the contributions of UNICEF and its partners to infant and young child feeding (IYCF). The Bangladesh case study involved a review of relevant documents, a field visit in August 2009 to Dhaka and interviews with 28 key informants, and analysis of the information. |
 | A large body of evidence demonstrates the benefits of breastfeeding for child survival, growth, and development. An estimated 1.30-1.45 million child deaths could be prevented each year with improved breastfeeding practices. Community-based breastfeeding promotion and support is one of the key components of a comprehensive programme to improve breastfeeding practices, as outlined in the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF). Learning from Large-scale Community-based Programmes to Improve Breastfeeding shares the experiences and lessons from community-based approaches so that others can use the information to strengthen existing programmes and design new ones. The paper will be of particular value to individuals who are interested in studying different models and the results and lessons emerging from them and assessing their applicability in a new setting. The paper is not a “how to” guide. Rather, it is the story of vision, innovations, partnerships, trials and errors, and results. An annex lists manuals, training materials, and other resources for those wanting guidance on programme design and implementation. |
 | National low birth weight study of Bangladesh: 2003-2004 Millions of Bangladeshi children, like those in many other developing countries, suffer from nutritional deficiencies from their very early days. Due to their mothers' poor nutritional status prior to and during their pregnancy, children are often born with low birth weight. Small-scaled studies in the past have indicated that the prevalence of low birth weight, a birth weight of less than 2,500 g, in Bangladesh is among the highest in the world. In order to get a full understanding of the extent of the problem for formulation of appropriate policy, the National Low Birth Weight Survey 2003-2004 was conducted by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with UNICEF. The results of the survey are presented in this report. The survey confirms that low birth weight is a major public health problem in Bangladesh. More than one out of every three children, or 1.03 million babies each year, are born with low birth weight. Children born with low birth weight are likely to suffer developmental impairment and have risk of illness and premature death. |
 | World Bank: Nutrition ProfilesPart of the "Nutrition at a Glance" series from the World Bank, offering key information and statistics on malnutrition and poor feeding practices in Bangladesh |
 | ReliefWeb: Viet Nam: Nutrition rapid assessment reportThis rapid assessment on the nutrition situation effected by Ketsana typhoon was conducted in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces under support from UNICEF and the National Institute of Nutrition. In September, the Ketsana Typhoon slammed into the Midland and Highland area of Vietnam (from Quang Binh to Binh Dinh province) with a wind speed of 118 – 149 kph (kilometres per hour) and torrential rain. In addition, the heavy rain after this typhoon caused serious flooding. According to the latest report, the typhoon not only killed 163 people, and 14 persons still missing, and over 600 were injured, but also thousands of houses, public buildings and classrooms were destroyed. It influenced all aspects of society, the economy and life, especially the health of the people who live in affected areas. The most vulnerable groups in these areas are women, especially pregnant and the lactating women, and children under five. |
 | Six-country review of breastfeeding support programs This review of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) was planned in response to UNICEF’s midterm review of its Medium-Term Strategic Plan (2006-2013). It examined national efforts to improve IYCF, primarily breastfeeding, during the past 10-15 years in Bangladesh, Benin, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. The purpose was to understand the factors that influenced breastfeeding practices and learn from the experience of these countries. An additional aim was to identify main lessons learned for future programming. Information was collected through document review and country visits between July and November 2008. |
 | World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative: Thte state of breastfeeding in 33 countries: 2010 The "State of breastfeeding in 33 countries” is a report of the assessment done in thecountries, as part of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) of their infant and young child feeding policies and programmes aimed at enabling women to successfully breastfeed their babies as well as manage to provide good complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding after the age of six months. The report has been generated through an IBFAN led country process involving governments and civil society organizations. |