INFANT

INFANT (INfant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition) is an early years program designed to help families with healthy eating and active play to give their baby the best start to life.

The program is based on more than 15 years of research led by the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University. 

Healthy eating patterns are established early in life. By the time Australian children are five, 40% of their total daily food intake is from ultra-processed foods. Supporting healthier eating and active play from the start of life is critical to chronic disease prevention. 

INFANT brings maternal and child health and early years professionals together with new parents and their babies to share evidence-based information about the importance of nutrition and active play. The program consists of four group sessions for mums, dads and carers led by a professional, with content reinforced via a mobile app called My Baby Now.  

In-language resources

With 44% of people in the WPHU catchment speaking a language other than English, the Western Public Health Unit worked with Deakin University to extend the reach of the INFANT program by developing new culturally relevant, in-language resources in the top six languages spoken by young families locally. 

Booklets for families are available in the following languages:

The booklets support mums, dads and carers with evidenced-based feeding and play advice for babies aged 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age and are designed to align with the four INFANT group sessions.  

To access the translated resources, click here  

INFANT training for community implementation

Join the INFANT training for community implementation to learn about the INFANT program content, facilitating the program and implementing INFANT in your community. 

This course has been created primarily for health and early years professionals and staff interested in implementing the INFANT program in their community and as professional development. The training is also suitable professional development for those that would like an update on the latest evidence and key messages for parents on healthy eating and active play in the early years. 

The INFANT course is available online and takes approximately 6-8 hours to complete, self-paced over a four week period. 

To find out more about the free INFANT training, click here

If you are interested in the implementation of INFANT or accessing resources, please contact wphu@wh.org.au for the attention of the Population Health Promotion Team.