How much human milk do infants consume? Data from 12 countries using a standardized stable isotope methodology
Abstract
The WHO has developed new growth curves based on breast-fed infants. Recommendations for energy intake have been adopted based on measurements of total energy expenditure. Data on human milk (HM) intake are needed to estimate the energy intake from this food source. However, objective HM data from around the world have not been available, because these measurements are difficult to obtain. Stable isotope methods have been developed to provide objective measurements over a 14-d period. A pooled analysis of 1115 data points of HM intake, obtained using the dose to the mother deuterium oxide turnover method, was undertaken in infants aged 0-24 mo from 12 countries across 5 continents. A hierarchical model was needed to estimate mean HM intake and its variance within and between countries given the complexity of the data. The overall mean HM intake was 0.78 (95% CI = 0.72, 0.84) kg/d, and the age-specific estimates indicated that intake increased over the first 3-4 mo and remained above 0.80 kg/d until 6-7 mo. The variability of intake increased in late infancy. Boys consumed 0.05 kg/d more than girls (P < 0.01). HM intake was strongly, inversely associated with non-HM water intake [r = -0.448 (95% CI -0.511 to -0.385); P < 0.0001]. These objective isotope values of HM intake improve our understanding of the magnitude and variability of HM intake within and across populations and help to estimate nutrient intakes in breast-fed infants.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe
- Alarming situation of emerging H5 and H7 avian influenza and effective control strategies
- Livestock and food security: vulnerability to population growth and climate change
- Atmosphere–ocean oxygen and productivity dynamics during early animal radiations
- Characterization of the global distribution and diversified plasmid reservoirs of the colistin resistance gene mcr-9
- The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.