Projects

FLRF dedicates all its energy and activities to supporting and promoting breastfeeding and breastmilk.

Micronutrient needs of breastfeeding mothers

While previous studies have investigated micronutrient supplementation for maternal nutrition, little is known about how it impacts maternal health and wellbeing during breastfeeding, particularly over several reproductive cycles.

Evaluating Best Practice Interventions

The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation and the University of Ghana launched this project to assess the operational feasibility of breastfeeding interventions.

IYCF Advocacy - South Africa

In 2022, FLRF began adapting the policy operationalization approach to plan an anti-formula advocacy campaign in South Africa in collaboration with civil society organizations and the University of the Western Cape: the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Advocacy Project – South Africa.

Translating Research, Making Science Accessible

FLRF and Aga Khan University launched a project in 2022 aimed at improving the accessibility and usability of research-based breastfeeding knowledge for a wide audience – Translation of Research-Based Breastfeeding Knowledge: Making the Latest Science Accessible.

Policy to Action: Multi-Project Operationalization

Operationalization resources are designed to help countries systematically put their breastfeeding policies into operation for better breastfeeding outcomes. Frameworks, taxonomies, tools and data...

Ethics of Breastfeeding Interventions

FLRF and the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine at the University of Zurich launched creation of the Ethics of Breastfeeding Interventions Framework in 2021. It is designed to give health authorities practical guidance for navigating ethical issues around breastfeeding interventions.

Growth and Development of Preterm Infants

In 2021, FLRF extended its support of INTERGROWTH-21st through a follow-on, collaborative project led by the University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health. It is called Growth and Development of Preterm Infants Across the World: How Breastmilk Influences Infant Outcomes in Different Preterm Phenotypes.

Trainee Expansion Program (TEP)

FLRF and the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) are helping cultivate the next generation of researchers in human milk and lactation with the next generation of their Trainee Expansion Program – TEP 2.0.

Social Value of Breastfeeding at Work

FLRF and Yale University launched the Social Value of Breastfeeding and Breastmilk at the Workplace project in 2019 to explore social and economic benefits of breastfeeding and breastmilk at the workplace.

Mild Induced Labor and C-Sections

Led by the University Hospital of Zurich, and in close cooperation with the University Children’s Hospital in Basel, this collaborative, clinical study is examining how the mild induction of labor using oxytocin could support mothers who deliver by C-section to initiate and continue breastfeeding.

Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF)

Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF): A Guide to Global Scale-Up is an evidence-informed global initiative from the Yale School of Public Health. BBF is designed to target data-driven, concrete measures countries can take to sustainably increase breastfeeding rates.

Best Practice Interventions

FLRF and the University of Ghana School of Public Health launched creation of the Best Practice Interventions Framework and Intervention Database in 2021. The compendium of tried and tested interventions is intended to help stakeholders select appropriate, evidence-based interventions to improve breastfeeding outcomes in their regions.

MOM Feeding Training for Intensive Care

PROVIDE – A Training Compendium on Providing Mothers’ Own Milk in NICU Settings, is an open access, evidence-based resource produced by Rush University Medical Center to help healthcare professionals implement lifesaving mothers’ own milk (MOM) feeding practices for infants in intensive care worldwide. It features 7 categories, including 34 educational videos and 23 information sheets in English and Spanish.

Nutrient Intake, Breastfeeding, Child Health

Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München set out to establish quantitative relationships between amounts of macro- and micronutrients provided to mothers and their breastfed infants. Findings are expected to improve understanding of mechanistic causal pathways, advance knowledge of breastmilk and its metabolic effects, and lead to evidence-based recommendations on maternal dietary intake before and during lactation.

LactaPedia – A Glossary of Lactation for Science and Medicine

Built with The University of Western Australia, LactaPedia – A Glossary of Lactation for Science and Medicine, aims to establish globally consistent and accepted terminology for human lactation through a collaborative website that invites comments on any of the suggested terminology.

Colostrum, Metabolism and Immunity

Researchers at The University of Western Australia investigated colostrum's effect on infant gut microbiota in a project called Impact of Colostrum on Early Postnatal and Adult Metabolic and Immune Homeostasis. Their goal was to determine whether colostrum's specific composition is required for gut immune maturation from birth, which results in low susceptibility to allergy and obesity in the long term.

Breastfeeding in Conflict Settings

Aga Khan University, with the Hospital for Sick Children, set out to compile the most effective interventions that help mothers continue breastfeeding in crisis situations with Breastfeeding in Conflict Settings: Evidence Synthesis and Case Study Analysis to Inform Guidance on Effective Implementation of Promotive Interventions.

Breastfeeding and Allergy Prevention

The aha! Swiss Allergy Centre offers a wealth of educational information about the causes, prevention and treatment of allergies and intolerances, and breastfeeding’s leading role in allergy prevention. Resources for healthcare professionals and the public are available, covering topics such as allergies/intolerances, asthma, eczema/skin reactions.

Breastfeeding in Neonatal Bacterial Colonization

The Role of Breastfeeding in Neonatal Bacterial Colonization project took place at the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital – a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. It investigated the protective mechanisms of breastmilk during the newborn period with the aim to reduce the number of children affected by inflammatory allergic and chronic diseases caused by unbalanced colonization of infants’ intestines.

Ethical Standards in Breastfeeding Research

Work from this project is being published on EFBRI: an open access compilation of ethical principles to guide biomedical research in breastfeeding and lactation. It was built on established international standards by the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine – a WHO Collaborating Centre for Bioethics at the University of Zurich, and created to streamline research processes for people working with breastfeeding mothers and children.

Herbal Galactagogues and Breastmilk Production

Conducted at the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research and taking an interdisciplinary, chemical biology approach, this study investigated the effectiveness and toxicity of four commonly used herbal galactagogues in promoting breastmilk production: oat’s rue, fenugreek, thistle and moringa.

Antibiotics and HIV-Exposed Infants

The University of KwaZulu-Natal conducted a study to evaluate the World Health Organization recommendation that all HIV-exposed but uninfected infants be given prophylaxis antibiotics until they are weaned, and until HIV infection can be excluded. Given the global rise in antibiotic resistances, in part due to antibiotic overuse and inappropriate indication, clinical findings from this study could lead to consequential advancements.

Growth Standards for Preterm Infants

INTERGROWTH-21st Preterm Postnatal Growth Standards and Feeding Protocol are globally validated and created to improve preterm infant health outcomes. The package includes clinical resources and practical training materials and was produced by the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century, coordinated by the University of Oxford.

Trainee Expansion Program (TEP)

TEP is an international career development campaign offering merit-based scholarships to talented young researchers interested in the field of breastmilk and breastfeeding. Launched by the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation and FLRF in 2016, it provided a total of USD $1.25 million in grant funding over five years.

Strengthening Human Milk Banking

Compiled by a group of international experts, Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks can help communities set up and operate safe, high-quality and sustainable human milk banks – a lifesaving alternative for babies that lack access to their own mothers’ milk. The compendium of standards and best practices can guide implementation of human milk banks as integrated programs within existing newborn and nutrition programming, to improve survival and long-term health for vulnerable infants.

LactaMedia – A Clinical Image Collection on LactaHub

LactaMedia is an open access, expanding collection of educational breastfeeding photos and videos. Images are intended for use by health professionals when developing training materials or presentations, or when assisting people with breastfeeding. All photos and videos are exclusively for nonprofit, educational, medical, or scientific purposes.

LactaMap – An Online Lactation Care Support System

LactaMap functions as a decision support system, helping practitioners rapidly navigate its wealth of information with an intuitive care pathway to appropriate, evidence-based clinical information for patients. Medical practitioners use LactaMap as a source for current, evidence-based information, accessible at the point of care to support breastfeeding mothers and their infants.

Development of AMNESIA-Zug

In 2016, the FLRF launched a pilot, AMNESIA-Zug, in canton Zug as a contact and counselling center for anyone caring for people with dementia. At the start of 2021, AMNESIA-Zug integrated into the psychiatric institution Triaplus AG in Zug, where the project is transitioning to a permanent care service.

Breastfeeding and Breast Milk – From Biochemistry to Impact

Published by FLRF at Thieme, this evidence-based reference book presents a holistic, scientifically robust overview of key topics written by experts from a range of disciplines, including medicine, sociology, political science, culture and economics. The book explores factors surrounding the influence of breastfeeding and breastmilk on children’s health and development and is a valuable resource for decision-makers and healthcare providers alike.