Human milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants, yet its nutrient content can vary depending on the mother’s diet and health. Until now, there were no reliable reference values for nutrients in human milk, making it difficult to assess infant nutrition accurately. To address this gap, the international Mothers, Infants, and Lactation Quality (MILQ) study created evidence-based reference values from healthy mother-infant pairs in four countries. These new values provide a global resource to better understand nutrient needs and evaluate nutrition programs. Findings show that the reference values can reshape nutrient recommendations for infants and mothers and help guide interventions to improve maternal and child health.

Human milk provides essential nutrients and bioactive compounds that support growth and development. However, in regions where maternal diets are lacking in key nutrients, the levels of these nutrients in milk may also be lower, potentially affecting infant nutrition. Until now, experts lacked the tools to determine when nutrient levels in milk were too low and how to respond.

The MILQ study developed new reference values for human milk nutrients by analysing samples from diverse populations. This offers, for the first time, an international standard to evaluate infant nutrient intake and maternal nutrition. With these values, researchers and health professionals can better understand the link between human milk composition and infant health outcomes.

New Insights into Nutrient Recommendations

The study found that many of the new reference values differ from those previously used to guide infant nutrient requirements. In fact, some nutrient levels in milk were lower than older estimates, suggesting that past recommendations may need to be revised. The research also showed that both the concentration of nutrients in milk and the volume consumed by infants determine overall intake, which had not been well understood before. These insights provide the basis for developing more accurate guidelines for both infants and lactating mothers.

In addition, the study highlighted variations in nutrient content across regions, with nutrients such as vitamin D and iodine showing notable differences. This means that while the new values can be applied globally, local conditions must also be considered when evaluating maternal and infant nutrition.

Practical Implications for Families and Health Programs

The new reference values can serve as a benchmark to assess whether nutrition interventions, such as food fortification or supplementation, are truly improving maternal and infant nutrient status. For families, this means that future recommendations for complementary foods and infant nutrition products will be based on stronger scientific evidence. Health programs can also use these values to monitor populations and design more effective strategies against nutrient deficiencies.

Looking ahead, the MILQ findings will play an important role in improving policies and interventions that support infant and maternal health worldwide. With more accurate data, governments, researchers, and healthcare providers can make better decisions to secure healthy growth and development for children.

Paper available at:Future Applications of Human Milk Reference Values for Nutrients: A Global Resource for Maternal and Child Nutrition Research - ScienceDirect

Full list of authors: Moore, S.E.; Allen, L.H.; Kac, G.; Michaelsen, K.F.; Mølgaard, C.; Islam, M.M.; Andersson, M.; Shahab-Ferdows, S.; Christensen, S.H.; Lewis, J.I.; Peerson, J.M.; Tan, X.; Dror, D.K.; Doel, A.M.; Mucci, D.B.; Schneider, B.C.; Khanam, F.; Campos, A.D.S.; Silva, G.T.; Nije, F.; Hassan, M.; Figueiredo, A.C.; Hampel, D.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100429