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Essential Nutrition Action 2: Exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life makes children healthier.
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Infants who are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life do not need water or any other food or liquids even in hot climates. Mother’s milk is all they need for survival and optimal growth and development.
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Essential Nutrition Action 3: Solid foods and mother’s milk after six months of age help infants grow quickly and strong.
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After six months, infants need both breastmilk and complementary foods. Complementary foods –solid, semi-solid or soft foods given with mother’s milk – ensure that infants grow and develop to their full potential.
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Essential Nutrition Action 4: The right foods – in quantity and quality – fed frequently from 6 to 24 months ensure optimal growth and development.
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Children 6 to 24 months old need to eat sufficient amounts of age-appropriate foods. Foods from different food groups such as grains, eggs, poultry, fish, meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables provide children with the variety of nutrients they need to grow healthy and develop fully.
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Essential Nutrition Action 5: Good hygiene and clean hands keep young children healthy and strong.
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Washing caregivers’ and children’s hands with soap before preparing and eating foods is one of the most important ways of preventing germs from getting into food and avoiding diarrhoea and poor growth in young children.
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Essential Nutrition Action 6: Iron and vitamin A supplementation and deworming protect young children from diseases and anaemia.
© UNICEFROSA/2016/GPirozzi