Describes how Alive & Thrive is building regional and national momentum for infant and young child feeding (IYCF) policies in seven Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in Southeast Asia.

Lays out Alive & Thrive’s comprehensive approach for scale and impact through four components: advocacy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, and strategic use of data.

Describes Alive & Thrive’s use of advocacy and policy dialogue to educate and motivate policymakers and program managers; the distinctive features of the approach; and the results and lessons in 3 countries.

Identifies actions during pregnancy and the first 2 years to improve nutrition and the impact on child health, education, and economic development.

This article was part of a special supplement in the Food and Nutrition Bulletin on the Alive & Thrive (A&T) project. Despite the existence of a strong evidence base for investing in infant and young child feeding (IYCF), sufficiently supported IYCF policies and programs are rare.

On Friday, September 21, 2012, I gave birth in a nearby health center to my second daughter.  Her father and I named her Bethlehem. We were happy. God had blessed our family with a healthy and strong baby. I thank God and all that have helped me.