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This report summarizes the findings of a multicountry study examining the impact of formula milk marketing on infant feeding decisions and practices, which was commissioned by WHO and UNICEF. The research study – the largest of its kind to date – draws on the experiences of over 8500 women and more than 300 health professionals across eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Viet Nam). It exposes the aggressive marketing practices used by the formula milk industry, highlights the impacts on women and families, and outlines opportunities for action.Read More →

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This three-paper series outlines the multifaceted and highly effective strategies used by commercial formula manufacturers to target parents, health-care professionals, and policy-makers. The industry’s dubious marketing practices—in breach of the breastfeeding Code—are compounded by lobbying of governments, often covertly via trade associations and front groups, against strengthening breastfeeding protection laws and challenging food standard regulations.Read More →

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The Health Systems for Early Child Development platform is a one-stop-shop for policy makers, service providers, and service planners, where they can access latest evidence-based guidance and resources on early childhood development policies and programmes that health care systems can incorporate and build on. It is also a learning community that enables discussions and knowledge exchange on building a responsive system that addresses the needs of young children and their families. Read More →

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In this thematic brief Moving Minds Alliance looks at integrating early childhood development in emergencies within nutrition sector response plans and programs. They share evidence from various contexts of the positive effects that integration of ECDIE and nutrition has on both children and their caregivers. They include some existing entry points for integration and examples of different nutrition and responsive caregiving programs.Read More →

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Moving Minds Alliance dives deeper to understand our brain and how it responds to stress. They consider threats faced by young children in crisis, such as being exposed to prolonged stress and adversity, and discuss how to mitigate the impact on their brain development. They also share how the humanitarian sector can incorporate early childhood development programs in their emergency response plans and programs through the nurturing framework lens.Read More →

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This World Bank paper analyzes the risks to child development and school readiness among children under age 6 in Pakistan. Drawing on a nationally representative telephone survey, it presents the first nationally representative estimates of child development for children under 3 years of age and school readiness for children 3 to 6 years of age, using internationally validated instruments.Read More →

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This brief defines early childhood development and why it is important to understand, especially in crisis contexts. It also explains the Nurturing Care Framework and how to use it to mitigate risks for young children in crisis settings and supporting them to have a healthy development. The fact sheet also provides simple recommendations on how to support early childhood development programming, financing and research in supporting young children in crisis and their caregivers.Read More →

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This Thematic Brief summarizes the evidence regarding the benefits of men’s engagement on outcomes for women, children, and even men themselves. It consolidates the learnings thus far regarding designing and adapting services to engage men in providing nurturing care. Finally, it recommends practical actions for policymakers and programme designers across four enabling environments: policies, services, communities and caregivers – all illustrated with case studies. It focuses particularly on what health services can do, while also covering education, social protection and other sectors. Read More →

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The WHO has commissioned a systematic review and meta-analysis of 102 randomized controlled trials of parenting interventions for children during the first 3 years of life that were implemented across a total of 33 countries. Among the findings, the review found greater effects on child cognitive development, parenting knowledge, parenting practices, and parent–child interactions for programs that focused on responsive caregiving compared to those that did not.Read More →

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This analysis summarises the situation of young children across several policy areas impacting their development. It is based on data collected from nine European countries and consolidated in nine country profiles. It draws attention towards four key findings across policy areas impacting ECD and priorities for policy-making and investment in early childhood at the European and country level.Read More →

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The author reflects on his experience of scaling nurturing care interventions in a private pediatric care setting. Buy-in from the health sector required realization of benefits to include health outcomes framed as the potential to improve the quality of life and the process of recovery; sustainable behavior change required a culture that promoted nurturing care highlighting the role of leadership; subsequently improving the experience of frontline staff and at an individual level. This could be achieved through the provision of supportive supervision-rooted in a framework of compassion.Read More →

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While there has been increasing attention in global public health towards designing and delivering programs, services, and policies to promote nurturing care, measurement has focused more on the components of health and nutrition, with less attention to early learning, responsive caregiving, and safety and security. This study provides a comprehensive review of the current state of measurement of nurturing care.Read More →