New Supplement Published in Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal

Breastfeeding is universally recognized as the optimal method of infant feeding, providing essential nutrients and antibodies that support healthy growth and development. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond. Despite the WHO recommendations, there remains a significant gap in reliable data on the nutrient composition of human milk. This gap presents a major challenge in accurately establishing nutrient intake recommendations for infants and lactating women, particularly for micronutrients. 

Until the publication of the Mothers, Infants and Lactation Quality (MILQ) study, published values for the concentrations of many nutrients in human milk, in particular vitamins and minerals, were limited and inconsistent. Nonetheless, these concentrations, multiplied by an average daily milk consumption by infants aged 0-6 months, have been used to set recommended nutrient intakes for infants and lactating women. In the MILQ study, accurately quantified milk nutrient concentrations through 8.5 months are accompanied by concurrent measures of milk volume, enabling precise quantification of total daily infant nutrient intakes. Data from the MILQ study provide a valuable resource for updating existing nutrient intake recommendations and assessing interventions to optimize maternal and infant nutritional status and health.

Launched in 2017, the MILQ study was directed by the USDA, ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, CA, with funds from the Gates Foundation. The final milk sample was collected in 2022.

The MILQ study, led by experts in the field of human milk research and conducted across sites in Bangladesh, Brazil, Denmark and The Gambia, represents the most comprehensive effort to date to understand the nutrient profile of human milk from well-nourished mothers. The chosen study sites had a population of well-nourished women of childbearing age; a cultural practice of exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding; minimal maternal nutrient supplementation or dietary fortification; investigators experienced in perinatal research; and geographical diversity.

The MILQ study is the first to establish reference values for nutrient concentrations in human milk through 8.5 months of lactation.

Explore the Supplement

A total of 1,242 mother-infant dyads participated in the MILQ study. Milk nutrient concentrations, milk volumes, percentile curves, and total nutrient intakes are presented in this Supplement published in Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal. In addition, comparisons are made between values in the MILQ study and those used by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) as well as those published in other selected studies.

The first article in this Supplement provides a general overview of the MILQ study, followed by six articles with results and applications of the research:

According to the Invited Editorial accompanying this Supplement, “the MILQ study offers a comprehensive and reliable dataset that addresses longstanding gaps in our understanding of human milk composition. These findings will undoubtedly contribute to improving global recommendations for infant and maternal nutrition, ultimately supporting better health outcomes for mothers and their infants.”

We invite you to peruse the entire Supplement. All articles are accessible at no cost regardless of subscription status.

Explore the Supplement

Eric Graber

Eric Graber is a freelance copy writer and marketing consultant, working primarily for publishers and professional associations in science and medicine.  He has a BA in Spanish Literature from Columbia University and an MBA in marketing from NYU Stern School of Business.