The “Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN)” Project – executive summary

An Ecological Approach for Advancing the Understanding of Nutrition and Health

“…9 As such, the Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN) Project was designed to better understand human milk composition and its ecology. 5 The Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Knowledge Indicating Dietary Sufficiency Project Childrenofschoolage(5-19years)representarangeofcritical stages in both physical and neurological development. Each of these stages is nutritionally sensitive and thus demands food security that ensures stable access to and availability of a high-quality diet to meet nutritional requirements.…”

“…Clinicians’ ability to make evidence-informed recommendations and guidance about infant feeding practices and nutritional requirements for both lactating parents and infants demands a deeper appreciation of the factors that affect the composition, function, and delivery of human milk . As such, the Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN) Project was designed to better understand human milk composition and its ecology …”

“…2 One area of high priority is the crosscutting topic of nutrition and the intersection of nutrition with growth and development during critical periods of human development. 2 The Pediatric Growth and Nutrition Branch (PGNB) leads these research efforts and has used an ecological approach to identify critical gaps in knowledge regarding a range of mission-centric public health priorities, including a deeper appreciation of the role of nutrition in the first 1000 days (pregnancy through the first 2 years of life), 3,4 the composition of human milk and its ecology, 5 and the role of nutrition in the health and development of children in what has become known as the next 7000 days (ages 2-21 years).…”

Parental factors that impact the ecology of human mammary development, milk secretion, and milk composition—a report from “Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN)” Working Group 1

“…The overarching conceptual framework and description of the Project is presented in the BEGIN executive summary, the first of 6 manuscripts of this supplement [ 1 ]. Our hope is that the reader will also review the subsequent manuscripts in this supplement, which present the findings of the individual thematic BEGIN working groups (WGs) as a continuum of thought that reflects a larger conceptual view of how we can move this important research and public health agenda forward.…”

Human Milk Composition: An Atlas for Child Health Recommendations

“…There is strong evidence that breastfeeding (chestfeeding) and/or human milk consumption improve child and family health outcomes, and many hypotheses as to why this relationship exists, including improved family bonding, protecting maternal health, and the transfer of beneficial human milk components to the infant [ 1 ]. Of all these potential hypotheses, perhaps the most straightforward to test is the relationship between human milk composition and health outcomes, including normal growth and development.…”