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Limited evidence exists on the long‐term effects of early feeding practices on child growth and development. We examined the relationships between infant feeding practices and child height and development at ages 2 and 6–7 years. We studied 885 mother–child dyads from a randomized controlled trial of preconception supplementation in Vietnam. Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF), exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), breastfeeding (BF) duration and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) were assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Child development was assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐III at 2 years and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children® – IV at 6–7 years. Child height‐for‐age z‐score (HAZ) was calculated from child height and age. Multivariable regression and structural equation models were used in analyses that controlled for confounding. EIBF and EBF at 6 months occurred in 52% and 62% of children, respectively. Mean breastfeeding duration was 18 months and 83% achieved MDD at 1 year. EIBF was associated with motor (β = 0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.00, 0.28) and cognitive development at 2 years (β = 0.12, 95% CI: −0.01, 0.26), which in turn were positively associated with cognitive development at 6–7 years. EBF was directly associated with development at 6–7 years (β = 0.21, 95% CI:0.08, 0.34) whereas motor and cognitive development at 2 years explained 41%–75% of the relationship between EIBF and development at 6–7 years. HAZ at 2 years also mediated 70% of the association between MDD at 1 year and HAZ at 6–7 years. BF duration was not associated with child development and HAZ. Early infant feeding practices, especially EIBF and EBF, have important long‐term implications for optimizing child linear growth and cognition as they begin school. Key messages: Optimal breastfeeding practices during the first few months of life were positively associated with cognitive development in early childhood and school‐aged children.While exclusive breastfeeding was directly associated with child cognition at 6–7 years, cognitive development at 2 years mediated the association of early initiation of breastfeeding on cognition at 6–7 years. More research is needed to replicate these findings, explore mechanisms and evaluate the causal relationship.Child linear growth in early childhood mediated the association of minimum dietary diversity at 1 year on child height‐for‐age z‐score at 6–7 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious fasting often involves abstention from animal source foods (ASFs). Although children are exempt, their diets are influenced by the widespread fasting practices. This study investigated the factors influencing ASF consumption among young children during the Lent fasting period in western Amhara, Ethiopia. We used baseline survey data from households with children 6–23 months of age (n = 2,646). We conducted regression analysis to examine the maternal and household factors associated with ASF consumption and path analysis to examine the direct and indirect effects of maternal knowledge, beliefs, social norms, and livestock ownership on ASF consumption. Only 24% of children consumed any ASF in the previous day—18% dairy products, 5% eggs, and 2% flesh foods. Mothers with high knowledge, beliefs, and social norms about feeding children ASFs during fasting had higher odds (odds ratio: 1.3–1.4) of children who consumed them. Compared with households with no ASFs, those with ASFs available were 4.8 times more likely to have children who consumed them. Most of the association between knowledge, beliefs and social norms, and ASF consumption was explained by pathways operating through ASF availability (approximately 9, 12, and 8 pp higher availability, respectively), which in turn were associated with higher consumption. Cow ownership was directly and indirectly associated with ASF consumption, whereas having chickens was indirectly associated with consumption via the availability pathway. Our findings corroborate the importance of maternal behavioural determinants related to feeding ASFs to children during fasting on ASF consumption via household availability and the positive influence of livestock ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]