The medical practitioners submitted to the chief executive the Manila Declaration on the Promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding Strategy during the group's conference on the theme, "The Breastfeeding Highway Begins at the Hospital."
The IYCFS aims to educate families on the correct way of providing proper nutrition to their children from birth up to the first two years of life.
Under the IYCFS, the medical leaders expressed concern over the inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices that have led to the high incidence of malnutrition among children in the first two years of life.
These include the non-initiation of breastfeeding within one hour after birth, the non-practice of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months, inadequate complementary feeding and unsustained breast feeding up to two years.
The signatories, recognizing the role of hospitals in improving nutrition and the health of children, have expressed their commitment to adopt, implement and fully support policies and programs that aim to improve infant and young child feeding practices.
