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.

This article was part of a special supplement in the Journal of Nutrition on the Alive & Thrive (A&T) project. Improving and sustaining infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices requires multiple interventions reaching diverse target groups over a sustained period of time.

The 2013 Lancet series on maternal and child undernutrition highlighted maternal depression as a significant risk factor for poor child growth and recommended interventions to address the problem through maternal and child health and nutrition programs.

Rapid declines in nutritional status occur before the age of two years, particularly during the period of complementary feeding. Improving complementary feeding practices is a neglected area in nutrition programs.

In Bangladesh, many programs and projects have been promoting breastfeeding since the late 1980s. Breastfeeding practices, however, have not improved accordingly.