The First-Feed Study

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) to 6 months of age, but prevalence of EBF is low in many countries. An often reported reason for ceasing EBF is a perceived insufficient milk supply, but evidence is scarce. The First-Feed study was a longitudinal observational study using the doubly-labelled water method to measure milk intake and energy balance in infants EBF to 6 months of age. The study tested if EBF is adequate to fulfil infant energy requirements, including measurements of anthropometry to ascertain growth, and questionnaires to explore breast-feeding practices. The study found EBF to adequately cover infant energy requirements to 6 months of age. It suggested that mothers succeed by being motivated and appropriately supported, and by making adaptations that are both physiological (increased lactation performance) and behavioural (adapted breast-feeding practices). But with wide variations in infant size, milk intake and energy requirements, it begs the question if a recommendation based on one age-point (6 months exactly) is appropriate given the vast biological variation in variables important for the adequacy of EBF.

Autorentext

The author was born and raised in Denmark, and started at medical school with paediatrics as her main interest. She changed to Human Nutrition to complete a M.Sc. at Copenhagen University with a research project on complementary feeding (2006), and then moved to Scotland, UK, to complete the present Ph.D. in Human Nutrition at Glasgow University.