Infant and Young Child Nutrition on the Agenda of the IAEA

The stable isotope technique used in this project is the deuterium oxide dose-to-mother technique. Deuterium is a stable isotope of hydrogen. There is no radiation hazard associated with the use of deuterium. The lactating mother drinks a small amount of deuterium oxide and, within a few hours, the deuterium is distributed throughout her body and is incorporated into her milk. The baby receives deuterium during breastfeeding. Over a period of 14 days, samples of saliva are collected from the mother and her baby, and the enrichment deuterium is analysed. A mathematical model is used to calculate the amount of human milk consumed by the baby and how much water the baby has ingested from sources other than breast milk. This is the only objective method to determine the exclusivity of breastfeeding, and therefore the accuracy of the mother’s report.

The meeting explored the achievements and challenges faced by the participating Member States. At this stage, the results indicate that the rate of exclusive breastfeeding is either low or of short duration. Traditional culinary and child rearing practices in the region are often contrary to exclusive breastfeeding: for instance the early introduction of semi-solid foods such as mashed rice and banana is common in Southeast Asia and small amounts of water are often given after a feed.

Further efforts by the IAEA and its Member States will help address the issues raised by the project coordinators and identify opportunities for regional collaboration in the Asian context, which will lead to further concerted efforts to improve the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the region.