What to know
Embedding high-impact obesity prevention standards (HIOPS) into policies and activities in early care and education settings can affect the health and well-being of millions of young children. Of 47 HIOPS, these 11 support healthy infant feeding. These standards include activities that support breastfeeding and infant feeding practices.
Breastfeeding support
Of 47 HIOPS, this standard supports breastfeeding in early care and education settings.
- Encourage and support breastfeeding and feeding of breast milk by making arrangements for mothers to feed their children on-site.
Infant feeding practices
Of 47 HIOPS, these 10 support infant feeding practices in early care and education settings.
- Serve human milk or infant formula to at least age 12 months, not cow's milk, unless written exception is provided.
- Feed infants on cue.
- Do not feed infants beyond satiety; allow infant to stop the feeding.
- Hold infants while bottle feeding; Position an infant for bottle feeding in the caregiver/teacher's arms or sitting up on the caregiver/teacher's lap.
- Develop plan for introducing age-appropriate solid foods in consultation with the child's parent/guardian and primary care provider.
- Introduce age-appropriate solid foods no sooner than 4 months of age, and preferably around 6 months of age.
- Introduce breastfed infants gradually to iron-fortified foods no sooner than 4 months of age, but preferably around 6 months.
- Do not feed an infant formula mixed with cereal, fruit juice or other foods without the primary care provider's written instruction.
- Serve whole fruits, mashed or pureed, for infants 7 months up to 1 year of age.
- Serve no fruit juice to children younger than 12 months of age.