Child-Feeding and Appetite: What Can Programmes Do?

Abstract

Feeding is an ideal context in which to examine the interaction between biological development and cultural variability in international efforts to promote children's survival and health. The transition from liquid to semisolid and solid feeding is a major developmental milestone that occurs in the first year of life. Appetite is a central component in the decision making process used by caregivers to determine when and how much to feed their infants. Anecdotal, qualitative, and dietary consumption data provide evidence that both illness-related and chronic anorexia is an important problem among infants and young children in developing countries. For example, nutrition programme personnel have noted that children simply do not appear to be hungry or to eat all that is offered to them, even if they are clearly undernourished. Following the UNICEF triple-A framework, this paper describes programme strategies to improve child-feeding and appetite.