Big Data and Breastfeeding: Bridging the Evidence Gap for Better Health Outcomes

This World Breastfeeding Week, the IAEA is calling for more countries to provide input to a unique database. The IAEA's Database on Human Milk Intake has been built using information generated from a nuclear technique that accurately measures breast milk intake. The technique also gives an objective indication of exclusive breastfeeding. To fully realize the potential of the database, more reliable data is needed, in particular from high-income countries.

World Breastfeeding Week falls in the first week of August, and is an initiative aimed at protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding across different levels of society. According to the World Health Organization, feeding an infant exclusively with breast milk for the first six months of their life protects against infections and related infant mortality.

The IAEA's Database on Human Milk Intake is a repository of data obtained from 34 countries so far using the deuterium oxide dose-to-mother (DTM) technique, that yields information not only on how much breast milk breastfed infants consume, but also indicates whether infants below six months of age are exclusively breastfed.

However, a dearth of data, particularly from high-income countries, is preventing researchers from fully understanding disparities in breastfeeding practices around the globe. Larger data sets are needed to help close this evidence gap and inform on policies contributing to improved breastfeeding practices worldwide.