Applying Nuclear Techniques to Understand the Link between Early Life Nutrition and Later Childhood Health (Phase 2)

Successful breastfeeding is essential for infant and young child health, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3, which aim to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The WHO highlights the importance of early initiation, exclusivity in the first six months, and recommends continuation of breastfeeding up to two years of age; however, only 44% of infants under six months of age are exclusively breastfed globally. Breastfeeding protects against undernutrition and overweight, which are significant global health issues. The dose-to-mother (DTM) method is a stable isotope technique that uses deuterium oxide dilution to accurately measure breast milk intake in infants, it is also valuable for studying breastfeeding patterns and assessing the nutritional intake of infants. It is important to state that deuterium oxide is classified as a non-hazardous substance by the United Nations' Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals; moreover, the safety of deuterium in human nutrition studies has been reaffirmed by Davies in a recent review (see [24]). Further advances and optimization of the DTM method are still required, to streamline sampling times and calculations to better predict the infant’s non-milk oral intake and later define exclusive breastfeeding. Although virtually all mothers can breastfeed with adequate information and support, it can be challenging. Stress and maternal mental health significantly influence lactation. A common issue is the perception of insufficient milk supply, which can be addressed by measuring the infant's intake using the dose-to-mother method and reassuring mothers that their milk is sufficient for their baby's growth and development. Further exploration of human milk composition and maternal determinants for breastfeeding, as well as the effect of maternal stressors on breast milk production, is needed to understand the impact of lactation, whether exclusive or predominant, on infant growth and development. The IAEA has launched a database on human milk intake in 2022 to enable innovative data analyses based on a global collection of DTM data. It has currently around 4000 datapoints from 27 countries and some regions and age group are underrepresented. This CRP aims at optimizing the DTM method, strengthening the IAEA global database on human milk intake and understanding maternal predictors of breastfeeding outcomes. It will thus provide guidance on the design and implementation of more tailored interventions to promote and maintain breastfeeding practices. The DTM method, in combination with nutritional, environmental, and psychosocial assessments of interest, will be used at each CRP site. Further details can be found here and under related resources.