Question & AnswerQ&A (DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2005-0014)
The main purpose of DOH Administrative Order No. 2005-0014 is to establish national policies on infant and young child feeding to improve their nutritional status, growth, and development through optimal feeding practices including exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding.
The target beneficiaries are infants aged 0 to 11 months and young children aged 1 year up to 3 years old.
The specific objectives are: (1) all newborns are initiated to breastfeeding within one hour after birth; (2) all infants are exclusively breastfed for 6 months; (3) all infants are given timely, adequate, and safe complementary foods; and (4) breastfeeding is continued up to two years and beyond.
Exclusive breastfeeding means giving breastmilk alone and no other foods or drinks, not even water, with the exception of vitamins and medicine drops, exclusively for the first six months of life.
Exceptions include infants with metabolic disorders such as galactosemia, phenylketonuria, and maple syrup urine disease where specialized feeding options must be used.
It builds upon Executive Order 51 (Milk Code), Republic Act 7600 (Rooming-In and Breastfeeding Act of 1992), Republic Act 8172 (ASIN Law), Republic Act 8976 (Food Fortification Law), Republic Act 8980 (ECCD Act), and the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 1999-2004, among others.
Guidelines include prioritizing breastfeeding, expressed breastmilk, wet-nursing, or human milk from milk banks; restricting breastmilk substitutes only for infants with clear needs; discouraging use of bottles and teats and promoting cup feeding; and limiting donations and distribution of breastmilk substitutes to prevent misuse during crises.
The Department of Health (DOH) is the lead agency responsible for the management and implementation of the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program.
Health facilities must comply with the Philippine Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes; they shall not display, promote, or distribute breastmilk substitutes, posters, or samples but instead provide an enabling environment to promote breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding.
The policy requires access to skilled support such as knowledgeable health workers and breastfeeding specialists; community-based mother-to-mother support networks; ongoing training for health providers; workplace support including breastfeeding rooms and breaks; and access to objective, consistent, and complete information free from commercial influence.
It mandates maternity protection consistent with ILO conventions including maternity leave, paid breastfeeding breaks, day-care facilities, and an enabling workplace environment to allow mothers to continue breastfeeding upon returning to work.
Complementary feeding must begin timely at six months to meet infants' evolving nutritional needs; the foods must be adequate, safe, locally available, culturally acceptable, and properly fed; low-cost homemade and processed fortified foods are encouraged where appropriate.
It requires periodic monitoring and evaluation integrated with maternal and child health reviews, strengthening of national and regional monitoring teams, establishment of incentive and award systems, and documentation and dissemination of models of good practice.