Early childhood development

At 1 year old, your child is learning to eat on their own. They can chew food as well as you can, so they can eat the same foods as the rest of the family., In brief: Feeding your child at 1–2 years, At 1 year, solid foods – including healthy snacks – are now your child’s main source of energy and nutrition. Jar icon Your child can take between three quarters to one cup of food three to four times a day, plus one to two snacks between meals. Breastfeeding icon Continue breastfeeding as much as your child wants, until at least 2 years old. no…, What to feed your child, Your child can eat anything, so you can give them some of all the food your family eats and make every bite count. Each meal needs to be packed with nutritious food. Be sure your child has a portion of animal foods (milk, dairy, eggs, meat, fish and poultry) each day, plus legumes (like chickpeas, lentils or peas) – or nuts, and orange or green…, How much food and how often, Your child can take between three quarters to one cup of food three to four times a day, plus one to two snacks between meals. If you’re not breastfeeding, then your child will need to eat more often. At 1 year, about the time children start to walk, your child's feeding schedule should include four to five meals a day, plus two healthy snacks.…, Foods to avoid, Avoid junk food and soft drinks. Factory-made snacks like crisps, cookies, cakes, soda and candy are unhealthy. They have high amounts of sugar, salt, fat and chemicals, and take up space in your child’s stomach that should be filled with nutritious foods., Mealtime tips, Having their own bowl of food will help your child learn to feed themselves. Start as soon as your child wants. Give them all the food they need and plenty of time to eat.  At first, your child will be slow and messy. Help them to get most of the food in their mouth (instead of on themself or the floor!). Encourage your child to finish it and make…, What to do when your child refuses to eat solid foods, Make sure your child is hungry at mealtimes and has not just had a snack. Although breastfeeding continues to be healthy for your child, breastfeed them only after their meal. At this age, they should eat solid food first.  Give your child healthy food that they like or mix the food they like with food they don't like as much. Try different food…

Young children need enough nutritious food every day to grow healthy, strong and smart. At around 6 months old, your baby is growing quickly and needs more energy and nutrients than at any other time in their life., In brief: Feeding your baby at 6–12 months, After 6 months, breastmilk is still your baby’s main source of energy and nutrients, but solid foods should now be added. Jar icon Your baby has a small stomach and needs to be eating small amounts of soft nutritious food frequently throughout the day.  fruits icon In addition to grains and tubers, feed your baby a variety of foods – especially…, Your baby's first foods, When your baby is 6 months old, they are just learning to chew. The first foods need to be soft so they’re very easy to swallow, such as porridge or well mashed fruits and vegetables. Did you know that when porridge is too watery, it doesn't have as many nutrients? To make it more nutritious, cook it until it’s thick enough not to run off the…, Feeding your baby: 6–8 months old, From 6–8 months old, feed your baby half a cup of soft food two to three times a day. Your baby can eat anything except honey, which they shouldn't eat until they reach 12 months old. You can start to add a healthy snack, like mashed fruit, between meals. As your baby gets increasing amounts of solid foods, they should continue to get the same…, Feeding your baby: 9–11 months old, From 9–11 months old, your baby can take half a cup of food three to four times a day, plus a healthy snack. Now you can start to chop up soft food into small pieces instead of mashing it. Your baby may even start to eat food with their fingers. Continue to breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry. Each meal needs to be both easy for your baby to…, Feeding non-breastfed babies, If you're not breastfeeding, your baby will need to eat more often. They'll also need to rely on other foods, including milk products, to get all the nutrition their body needs. Start to give your baby solid foods at 6 months of age, just as a breastfed baby would need. Begin with two to three spoonfuls of soft and mashed food four times a day,…

As your baby grows, so do their nutritional needs. During the first two years, up to 75 per cent of each meal goes to building your baby’s brain. Here’s when to introduce your baby to solid foods and why getting the timing right is so important., In brief: Feeding your baby solid foods, Breastfeeding icon Before 6 months, breastmilk alone meets all your baby’s energy and nutrition needs. plate with food icon Start to introduce soft foods at 6 months when your baby needs more energy and nutrients than your milk alone can provide.  Pot and Spoon icon At 6 months, start giving your baby just two to three spoonfuls of soft food, such…

Lead is poisoning around one in three children globally on a massive and previously unrecognized scale. Lead poisoning is a major contributor to intellectual disability among children in low- and middle-income countries. Lead is a public health hazard in every region of the world, contributing to disease burden, disability and death. Most of the…

HA NOI, 13 November 2022 – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell concluded a three-day visit to Viet Nam, commending the country for its many gains for children. Russell also called for urgent action to address challenges like malnutrition and inequalities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and climate shocks. “In the past few decades,…

Ha Noi 8 December 2021 – Detailed evidence on the situation of children and women in Viet Nam was released today in Ha Noi by the General Statistics Office (GSO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) of Viet Nam. The findings were generated from a nation-wide household survey, conducted with the participation of more than 14,000…

It can be hard to talk to your children about racism. Some parents worry about exposing their children to issues like racism and discrimination at an early age. Others shy away from talking about something they themselves might not fully understand or don’t feel comfortable discussing. Yet others, especially those who have experienced racism,…, How to talk to your child about racism, The way children understand the world evolves as they grow, but it’s never too late to talk to them about equality and racism. Here are some age-appropriate ways to start that conversation and explain that racism is always wrong: Under 5 years At this age, children may begin to notice and point out differences in people they see around them. As a…, Celebrate diversity, Try to find ways to introduce your child to diverse cultures and people from different races and ethnicities. Such positive interactions with other racial and social groups early on help decrease prejudice and encourage more cross-group friendships.  You can also bring the outside world into your home. Explore food from other cultures, read their…, You are the example your child follows, Parents are children’s introduction to the world. What they see you do is as important as what they hear you say.  Like language,  prejudice is learned over time . In helping your child recognize and confront racial bias, you should first consider your own — does your friend circle or people you work with represent a diverse and inclusive group?…

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about the mental health of a generation of children. But the pandemic may represent the tip of a mental health iceberg – an iceberg we have ignored for far too long.  The State of the World’s Children 2021  examines child, adolescent and caregiver mental health. It focuses on risks and protective factors…, Uncertainty. Loneliness. Grief. These powerful emotions have enveloped the lives of many millions of children, young people and families. Children and young people could feel the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and well-being for many years to come. Ramjan (12), who came to the city from his village alone during the COVID-19 lockdown, is…, The high cost of low investment, Despite all this, governments and societies are investing far too little in promoting, protecting and caring for the mental health of children, young people and their caregivers. We pay a high economic price for this neglect – around US$387.2 billion worth of lost human potential that could go towards national economies each year. The cost in…, Unheard calls for help, Young mental health advocates have not been standing by in silence. Many have been bravely calling for mental health to be addressed in different contexts around the world. In the  State of the World’s Children 2021 , some have spoken out about their lived experiences with mental health and well-being, the challenges their friends and peers face,…, Understanding mental health: Breaking barriers, Our inability to address mental health can be measured by how little societies are willing to talk about or understand it. The fear of harsh words, laughter and abuse that underline the stigma around mental health make it harder for children, adolescents and caregivers to express their feelings. “With stress and mental illness, for many it’s a…, It’s time for leadership, UNICEF calls for commitment, communication and action to promote good mental health for every child, protect vulnerable children and care for children facing the greatest challenges. Commitment means strengthening leadership to set the sights of a diverse range of partners and stakeholders on clear goals and ensuring investment in solutions and…, What UNICEF is doing, UNICEF works to help safeguard the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children, adolescents, parents and caregivers in some of the world’s most challenging settings. We have also worked to address the global impact of the pandemic on mental health. Rawan Nabulsi, 21, who had to leave her home in Syria at age 15, helps children coping with…, ON MY MIND T H E S TAT E O F T H E W O R L D S C H I L D R E N 2 0 2 1 Promoting, protecting and caring for childrens mental health EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To download the full report, please visit www.unicef.org/sowc. Published by UNICEF Office of Global Insight and Policy3 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA pubdoc@unicef.org United Nations…

NEW YORK, 30 July 2020 – Lead poisoning is affecting children on a massive and previously unknown scale, according to a new report launched today by UNICEF and Pure Earth. The report, the first of its kind, says that around 1 in 3 children – up to 800 million globally – have blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), the…

In Viet Nam, significant progress has been made over the past 25 years in improving survival rates for children under five years of age. Between 1990 and 2018, deaths per 1,000 live births reduced from 52 to 21.  It is estimated that 47 newborns die every day in Viet Nam. Most are from preventable causes. Infant mortality rates in the North and…, Meet Hao, the first baby boy born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam,   Firs Baby Boy of 2020 of father A Ho and mother YO from Liem Rang, Kon Rieng, Dak Choong, Đak Glei, Kon Tum. UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Firs Baby Boy of 2020 of father A Ho and mother YO from Liem Rang, Kon Rieng, Dak Choong, Đak Glei, Kon Tum. UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Display caption Show Original Caption Display caption Show…, Meet Dang Thi Bao Tran, the first baby girl born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam,   Baby Girl from Village 1, Tan Lap commune, Kon-Rãy District, Kon Tum UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Baby Girl from Village 1, Tan Lap commune, Kon-Rãy District, Kon Tum UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Display caption Show Original Caption Display caption Show Original Caption “Our baby girl is a gift from God to my family,” beamed Sang,…, Meet Nguyễn Hoàng Sunny, the first baby girl born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam ,   Firs Baby Boy of 2020 of father A Ho and mother YO from Liem Rang, Kon Rieng, Dak Choong, Đak Glei, Kon Tum. UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Firs Baby Boy of 2020 of father A Ho and mother YO from Liem Rang, Kon Rieng, Dak Choong, Đak Glei, Kon Tum. UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Display caption Show Original Caption Display caption Show…, Meet A Ka Thanh, the first baby boy born in 2020 from Kon Tum, Viet Nam,   Firs Baby Boy of 2020 of father A Ho and mother YO from Liem Rang, Kon Rieng, Dak Choong, Đak Glei, Kon Tum. UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Firs Baby Boy of 2020 of father A Ho and mother YO from Liem Rang, Kon Rieng, Dak Choong, Đak Glei, Kon Tum. UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Display caption Show Original Caption Display caption Show…, Meet Trinh Le Mai Anh, the first baby girl born in 2020 from Gia Lai, Viet Nam, Baby Girl from Hbang Village, Kon Long Khong, K-Bang, Gia Lai UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Baby Girl from Hbang Village, Kon Long Khong, K-Bang, Gia Lai UNICEF Viet Nam\Truong Viet Hung Display caption Show Original Caption Display caption Show Original Caption Trinh Le Mai Anh is the second child in the family but her mother tells us, “The…

Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 12 December 2019 -- Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Huggies diapers, today announced its intent to partner with UNICEF to support initiatives that improve neonatal health outcomes in the rural mountainous and central highland provinces of north and central Viet Nam and reduce infant mortality. In the past 25 years, Viet Nam has…

Hanoi welcomes 500 guests from around the world for the 2019 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood Development (ECD), December 4, 2019, focusing on the need for nurturing, sustainable environments for young children. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam opened the regional conference citing the importance of ECD to Vietnam and the rest…