Breastfeeding in Emergencies as a Life-Saving Intervention: A Bibliometric Analysis Within the IYCF-E Framework
AI Summary
Evidence on breastfeeding in natural hazards is limited, growing since 2012 with peak publications in 2024, primarily from the US, Japan and Canada.
Studies focus on infant health and emergencies; maternal mental health emerges, while breastfeeding's life saving role and BMS risks remain understudied in IYCF-E.
Future research must adopt IYCF-E, recognise breastfeeding as life saving, and create evidence-based strategies to protect, promote, support and prevent inappropriate BMS use.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze the scientific literature on breastfeeding during natural hazards, using a bibliometric approach, within the IYCF-E framework.
STUDY METHOD: Data were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection in December 2024. The search was limited to English-language articles and included keywords such as “natural hazards,” “earthquake,” “flood,” “hurricane,” and “breastfeeding.” Of the 148 identified articles, 27 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Biblioshiny interface in R (Version 4.2.1) and RStudio, with visualizations generated using VOSviewer.
FINDINGS: Publications in this field began in 2012, with a marked increase in recent years and the highest number in 2024. Most studies originated from the United States, Japan, and Canada. The Journal of Human Lactation published the highest number of articles. Frequently used keywords included “breastfeeding,” “earthquake,” “emergency,” and “disasters.” Thematic analysis indicated that infant health, emergencies, and breastfeeding were central themes, whereas maternal mental health, including stress and depression, emerged as growing areas of interest. However, limited attention was given to the life-saving role of breastfeeding and the risks associated with BMS within an IYCF-E framework.
CONCLUSION: The scientific literature on breastfeeding in emergency contexts remains limited. Existing studies are predominantly descriptive and largely focused on earthquake settings. Future research should adopt an IYCF-E perspective, explicitly recognize breastfeeding as a life-saving intervention, and develop evidence-based strategies to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding while preventing inappropriate use of BMS in emergency preparedness and response.
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