MILQ Study

Introduction

The Mothers, Infants, and Lactation Quality (MILQ) Study

Two blue globe logos labeled MILQ and Early MILQ with mothers and lactation tagline

 

The Mothers, Infants, and Lactation Quality (MILQ) and Early-MILQ (E-MILQ) studies are a Gates Foundation funded landmark multi-center research effort designed to address a critical gap in global nutrition science: the lack of reliable, representative data on nutrient concentrations in human milk. Conducted across four geographically diverse sites in Bangladesh, Brazil, Denmark, and The Gambia, and global analytical partners in India, Switzerland, UK, and USA, the MILQ study enrolled over 1,200 mother–infant dyads and systematically measured both human milk nutrient concentrations and milk volume from birth throughout the first 8.5 months of lactation. Using rigorously validated analytical methods and stable isotope techniques, the study produced the first comprehensive reference values for macro- and micronutrients in milk from well-nourished women — data that are essential for updating nutrient intake recommendations for infants and lactating women worldwide. The findings from MILQ provide an invaluable resource for researchers, policymakers, and public health programs working to optimize maternal and infant nutrition across diverse global settings. 

 

Study design

Multistage flowchart with colored process boxes and horizontal timeline
 
MILQ Team   Reference Values   MILQ Publications

Study info

  • The MILQ study used flexible visit windows rather than fixed time points to capture milk composition across 0–8.5 months postpartum (C: 0–3 d; M1: 1–3.49 mo; M2: 3.5–5.99 mo; M3: 6–8.5 mo).
  • An add-on study, E-MILQ, focused on the first month of lactation (C: 0–3 d; E1: 4–17 d; E2: 18–31 d) to capture rapid early changes in milk nutrients.
  • The early postpartum window was originally not included to reduce participant burden immediately after birth.
  • Sample size (MILQ): ~250 mother–infant pairs per site, designed to estimate key nutrient percentiles and ensure comparability across sites before pooling data.
  • Sample size (E-MILQ): 65 mothers per site (260 total), powered to estimate median nutrient values with high precision.