An Alive & Thrive (A&T) study in Viet Nam examined determinants of the gap between breastfeeding awareness and practices.

Despite evidence supporting the importance of breastfeeding to child health, breastfeeding practices remain suboptimal in Viet Nam. There is currently little evidence on the importance of breastfeeding in the prevention of morbidity during infancy in Viet Nam.

This study aimed to understand exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers of four and six-month-old infants whose fathers received breastfeeding education materials and counseling services.

Despite the importance of early initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding, prelacteal feeds continue to pose a barrier to optimal breastfeeding practices in several countries. This study examined the factors associated with prelacteal feeding among Vietnamese mothers in 2011.

A comprehensive set of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators for international use was published in 2008. Alive & Thrive (A&T) undertook a process to incorporate these indicators into Viet Nam’s National Nutrition Surveillance System (NNSS).

This special supplement in the Food and Nutrition Bulletin focused on the work of Alive & Thrive in designing and implementing large-scale programs to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in Asia and Africa.