The effective model of improving community-based child care and feeding practices in Lao Cai

The model of "Improving community-based child care and feeding practices" being implemented in many highland villages in Lao Cai has brought about clear results, contributing to reducing the rate of malnutrition and changing people's awareness.

Positive changes in child nutrition

According to statistics, the nutritional status of people in general and of mothers and children in particular in Lao Cai has improved significantly.

In the period 2016 - 2023, the rate of underweight malnutrition in children under 5 years old in Lao Cai decreased by an average of 0.73%/year, while stunting malnutrition decreased by 1.3%/year. This is a remarkable step forward in maternal and child health care in the province.

However, the rate of malnutrition among children under 5 years old, especially stunting, is still high. According to statistics from the Lao Cai Center for Disease Control, of the total number of malnourished children, the number of ethnic minority children accounts for 82.8%, concentrated in remote communes and ethnic minority areas.

The reason is that many families are still poor, their meals are very frugal, so they are malnourished from the time they are in the mother's womb. When children are born, because of the lack of food and nutrition, they often get sick, their bodies are weak, leading to stunted growth and slow growth. Ethnic minority people also lack knowledge in child care, leading to more severe malnutrition. Malnutrition in children, if not improved soon, will have serious consequences for their development.

The model "Improving community-based child care and feeding practices contributes to improving nutritional status in children in Lao Cai.

The model "Improving community-based child care and feeding practices" has been implemented effectively. For example, in Trinh Tuong commune (formerly Coc My commune, Bat Xat district), people were instructed on how to cook porridge and advised on nutrition for pregnant women. This seemingly normal thing is strange to young mothers here. Through propaganda sessions and practice from this model, parents have learned how to prepare hot, colorful bowls of porridge from locally available foods.

Not only mothers but also fathers know how to take care of their growing children, pregnant women eat nutritious food, suitable for the local economy .

In Lao Cai, 51 models of community-based child care and nutrition have been built and maintained effectively. These models focus mainly on guiding people to take care of children's nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. The models are directly implemented by the people, directed by the government and professionally supported by health care , and have contributed to rapidly reducing the rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old.

Striving for the future

Lao Cai has built and maintained 51 effective community-based childcare and nurturing models.

According to the leaders of Lao Cai Province Department of Health, in recent years the health sector has implemented a series of measures to reduce malnutrition in the province, especially in districts with high malnutrition rates and remote communes. Health care in the first 1,000 days of a child's life is very important and meaningful in preventing malnutrition and preventing diseases later on.

Improve child malnutrition by providing multi-micronutrient supplements for pregnant women; high-dose Vitamin A supplements for postpartum mothers within 1 month, for children 6 to 60 months old twice a year; deworming for children 2 years old to primary school and women of childbearing age.

In the National Nutrition Strategy for the 2021-2030 period, Lao Cai aims to reduce the rate of stunting in children under 5 years old to below 26.7% and underweight to below 13% by 2025. To achieve this, the province will continue to expand and replicate community nutrition models.

Special attention is paid to communication and advocacy work for mothers and caregivers to change awareness, thinking and behavior on maternal and child health care and nutrition; strengthening supervision and support in the form of hand-holding at households using available food sources in the home to improve meal quality; regularly examining and detecting acutely malnourished children for treatment.

The health sector encourages each family to develop "garden - pond - barn" to proactively source safe and diverse food; organize family meals and school meals to ensure balanced nutrition; pay special attention to the first 1,000 golden days of life. This is the key to helping Lao Cai children develop healthily, with a strong stature and intelligence for the future.

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Source: https://baolaocai.vn/mo-hinh-cai-thien-thuc-hanh-cham-soc-va-nuoi-duong-tre-nho-dua-vao-cong-dong-mang-lai-hieu-qua-o-lao-cai-post883238.html