Environmental impact of infant feeding type, accessories used and maternal dietary habits: The GREEN MOTHER-I project, a cross-sectional study protocol

• Published in: Nutrition journal Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 97 - 8
• Main Authors: Cabedo-Ferreiro, Rosa Maria, Liutsko, Liudmila, Cos-Busquets, Judit, García-Sierra, Rosa, Colldeforns-Vidal, Margalida, Reyes-Lacalle, Azahara, Vicente-Hernández, Mª Mercedes, Gómez-Masvidal, Miriam, Montero-Pons, Laura, Cazorla-Ortiz, Gemma, Torán-Monserrat, Pere, Violán, Concepció, Falguera-Puig, Gemma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 21.08.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Behavior; Breast feeding; Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data; Carbon Footprint - statistics & numerical data; Climate change; Climatic changes; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet - methods; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Ecological footprint; Environment; Environmental aspects; Environmental health; Environmental impact; Equipment and supplies; Evaluation; Feeding Behavior; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Infant; Infant Formula - statistics & numerical data; Infant formulas; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infants (Newborn); Infants' supplies; Information management; Midwives; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Nutrition and dietetics; Postpartum women; Public health; Spain; Study Protocol; Type 2 diabetes; Women; Spain; Climate change; Nutrition and dietetics; Postpartum women; Environmental health; Breastfeeding; Environmental impact; Infant feeding; Public health
• ISSN: 1475-2891; 1475-2891
• DOI: 10.1186/s12937-024-01000-9

Breastfeeding (BF) is the healthiest form of nutrition for babies and is recommended exclusively (EBF) for at least the first six months of life. The carbon footprint of formula feeding (FF) has been studied, but that of BF is unknown. To identify the environmental impact of three types of infant feeding taking into account the accessories needed and the diet of postpartum women in the baby's first month of life. This is a multicentre, cross-sectional study conducted in the Barcelona North Metropolitan Area (Catalonia, Spain). The participating sites are primary care settings that will recruit 408 postpartum women (4-6 weeks) as per inclusion/exclusion criteria. The data will be collected through a GREEN MOTHER Survey that includes 4 dimensions: 1) socio-demographic and clinical data; 2) data on the newborn and accessories used in infant feeding; 3) general data on the mother's diet (food consumption habits), and 4) recording of 24 h of the mother's diet. The data analysis will be performed to check the prevalence of infant feeding types at birth and month 1, as well as a comparative analysis of three types of infant feeding on environmental impact (climate change; water consumption, and scarcity). This project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Jordi Gol i Gurina University Institute Foundation for Primary Health Care Research (IDIAP) under code 22/101-P dated 22/02/2023. A second phase of the GREEN MOTHER study is planned, which will consist of an educational intervention to promote breastfeeding, nutrition and sustainability. This intervention will be based on the results obtained in Phase I. We expect that the project results - through the publication and dissemination of scientific papers and reports among relevant stakeholders (association of community midwives, healthcare and primary care attention professionals and the public) - will increase public awareness of breastfeeding and its impact on sustainability. Both phases of the GREEN MOTHER study protocol were registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05729581.