Early infant feeding practices are a critical part of education and care programs within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. With an increasing number of children attending ECEC services from a young age, adherence to best practice infant feeding will improve long-term health outcomes. This paper uses inductive and deductive thematic analysis informed by Social Cognitive Theory and inductive content analysis, to describe Australian infant feeding nutrition ECEC policy environments. Key Australian ECEC policy documents were analysed, revealing the invisibility of infants generally, and infant feeding specifically, in current quality standards. This was followed by analysis of 28 nutrition or infant feeding policies from 19 centre- and home-based ECEC services impacting over 1500 children in Queensland Australia. Five key themes characterising the content of service policies impacting infant feeding emerged: documentation, values, curriculum and pedagogy, supportive environments, and working in partnerships with parents. Service policies are required by legislation and set the foundation for a safe, supportive environment for infant feeding. The lack of infant feeding practice examples and invisibility of infants in legislation increase ambiguity, and health and safety risks. Opportunities exist to adopt separate infant feeding policies which will assist the provision of quality practice for the short-term and long-term optimal health of infants in ECEC settings.

中文翻译：

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澳大利亚幼儿教育和护理服务中的婴儿喂养营养政策：内容和定性分析

在幼儿教育和护理（ECEC）设置中，婴儿早期喂养方法是教育和护理计划的关键部分。随着越来越多的儿童从小就参加ECEC服务，坚持最佳实践婴儿喂养将改善长期健康状况。本文利用社会认知理论的归纳和演绎主题分析以及归纳内容分析，来描述澳大利亚婴儿喂养的营养ECEC政策环境。对澳大利亚ECEC的主要政策文件进行了分析，揭示了当前质量标准中婴儿的隐身性，特别是婴儿喂养的隐性。随后，对来自19个以家庭为中心的ECEC服务中的28种营养或婴儿喂养政策进行了分析，这些政策影响了澳大利亚昆士兰州的1500多名儿童。出现了五个关键特征，这些特征是影响婴儿喂养的服务政策内容的特征：文件，价值观，课程和教学法，支持性环境以及与父母的合作关系。立法要求制定服务政策，并为婴儿喂养的安全，支持环境奠定了基础。缺乏婴儿喂养的做法实例，以及婴儿在立法中的隐形性，增加了歧义，并增加了健康和安全风险。存在采取单独的婴儿喂养政策的机会，这将有助于为ECEC设置中的婴儿的短期和长期最佳健康状况提供质量实践。立法要求制定服务政策，并为婴儿喂养的安全，支持环境奠定了基础。缺乏婴儿喂养的做法实例，以及婴儿在立法中的隐形性，增加了歧义，并增加了健康和安全风险。存在采取单独的婴儿喂养政策的机会，这将有助于为ECEC设置中的婴儿的短期和长期最佳健康状况提供质量实践。立法要求制定服务政策，并为婴儿喂养的安全，支持环境奠定了基础。缺乏婴儿喂养实践的例子，以及婴儿在立法中的隐形性，增加了歧义，并增加了健康和安全风险。存在采取单独的婴儿喂养政策的机会，这将有助于为ECEC设置中的婴儿的短期和长期最佳健康状况提供质量实践。