Why is IAEA measuring breast milk intake?
• Breast-feeding is always important but particularly so in developing countries where food supplies are limited, infections are common, and commercially prepared infant formulas are unaffordable. • In addition to breast milk, nutritionally adequate complementary foods are needed in the weaning period. • Nutritionally inadequate complementary foods are a cause of childhood malnutrition. Improvement of these foods requires harmonizing of many factors including cultural practices, seasonality of foods, economic constraints, preparation time, food hygiene and nutritional quality. Poor complementary foods contribute to childhood malnutrition The causes of childhood malnutrition are multiple. An important cause is the nutritional inadequacy of some complementary (weaning) foods. These foods are often prepared in unhygienic conditions, given to the child in dirty bottles, and may be nutritionally inadequate. To prevent or solve this problem, communities around the world are endeavouring to p
