Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) - What Does the Science Tell Us?
A scientific repository
On this page you will find a repository that provides an overview of what peer-reviewed journal articles currently state on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) in an emergency context. It is compiled for the IFE Core Group by the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is maintained in partnership with the Emergency Nutrition Network and with financial support from the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
The repository aims to provide the reader with a snapshot of what is published with updates on a quarterly basis. All publications provide emerging evidence related to IYCF in emergency settings such as natural disasters, conflicts, and displacement including refugee settings. This repository originated from the identified need to develop a system to compile and share new IYCF-E research and build a virtual library of some of the most recent findings.
NEW (OCTOBER 2023): the repository now features an interactive dashboard which allows users to search by keyword and filter by type of publication, countries of interest, and selected topic areas (infectious disease, policy, or implementation). Users can switch from dashboard view to the original PDF view by following the link at the top left of the dashboard.
 |
 |
 |
The full repository provides summaries for 137 scientific publications published 1 January 2022 - 30 September 2023. Titles link to full papers if they are Open Access. Publications are selected using specific search engines (see 'About the Repository').
Since our last update in July 2023, we have added 21 NEW publications to our scientific repository related to IYCF in emergency settings (137 total). Several reviews report findings from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that are not in emergency settings but offer insights that are widely applicable. This update provides emerging evidence from Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, India, Israel, the Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
Several new publications shed light on IYCF challenges faced by refugees at all stages of resettlement. A case control study explored factors that contributed to the early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers residing in five Somali refugee camps in Ethiopia. Another study surveyed healthcare workers to identify IYCF practices, attitudes, and challenges among Syrian mothers resettled in Turkey. Another study interviewed 16 Ukranian mothers about their experiences with IYCF since the onset of the conflict and following their relocation to the US or Israel.
Several new publications examine trends in child wasting and stunting across LMICs, exploring the relationship with IYCF practices and opportunities for targeted interventions. One study of a conflict-affected population in Yemen found significantly higher odds of wasting and stunting among children under 2 years of age, and among those who had never been breastfed. Another study found that declines in child wasting across Chad reversed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher burdens of wasting among children under 2 years of age that could not be explained by IYCF practices alone. Pooled analyses across several LMICs examined variations in child wasting and stunting by region, level of rainfall, and country-level factors (health spending, child mortality, and poverty). Results pointed to high rates of stunting and wasting at birth and before the age of 3 months, suggesting a need for targeted nutritional support beyond exclusive breastfeeding and a greater emphasis on pre-natal interventions.
New research continues to highlight the importance of integrating IYCF-E protections into disaster preparedness and emergency management. Case studies from the Honduras, Pakistan, and the United States illustrate how flooding, hurricanes, and unsolicited donations of commercial milk formula have negatively impacted breastfeeding in times of heightened food insecurity. New evidence demonstrates how breastfeeding may lessen the negative effects of in utero exposure to hurricane conditions on the gut microbiome of infants born after the hurricane. These results highlight the importance of protecting breastfeeding at all stages of disaster response and recovery.
If you know anyone who would benefit from these updates, please direct them to this link to sign up for our email listserv. We aim to publish updates every 3 months – look out for out next update in January 2024.
Since our last update in April 2023, we have added 40 NEW publications to our scientific repository related to IYCF in emergency settings. In addition to several international reviews, this update provides emerging evidence from Albania, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Greece, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Malta, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Somalia, South Korea, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela.
UPDATE 17 April 2023:
Since our last update in January 2023, we have added 21 NEW publications to our scientific repository related to IYCF in emergency settings. In addition to several international reviews, this update provides emerging evidence from Ethiopia, the United States, Australia, Indonesia, Belgium, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, France, Uganda, Ukraine, Brazil, and Italy.
UPDATE 16 January 2023:
Since our last update in October 2022, we have added 18 NEW publications to our scientific repository related to IYCF in emergency settings. In addition to several international reviews, this update provides emerging evidence from the United States, Turkey, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Australia, and Yemen.
UPDATE 19 October 2022:
Since our last update in July 2022, we have added 14 NEW publications to our scientific repository related to IYCF in emergency settings. In addition to several international reviews, this update provides emerging evidence from Turkey, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau, Thailand, Australia, Israel, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Poland, Croatia, Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Indonesia.
UPDATE 20 July 2022:
Since the 1st of January, 23 peer reviewed articles have been published on IYCF-E. In addition to international reviews the repository provides emerging evidence from Iraq, Bangladesh, Colombia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Indonesia, Lebanon, Italy, Turkey, the United States and Australia.
Science to your inbox
If you would like to receive quarterly updates on the new resources uploaded to the repository please subscribe below and you will be added to our listserv.
