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Ensuring healthy infant development is a top priority for both parents and healthcare providers. A crucial part of this development is understanding and monitoring the infant’s milk consumption and feeding behavior. Many mothers experience uncertainty about whether their infant is getting enough milk, which in some cases can lead to early cessation of breastfeeding. Several methods exist to measure breast milk quantity, but their accuracy has only been validated for use in clinical settings. No reliable method suitable for home use has been developed, and the accuracy of weighing for older infants remains uncertain. This concern highlights the urgent need for reliable and accurate methods to measure milk consumption. This will provide mothers with the confidence and support they need to continue breastfeeding with confidence, thereby positively contributing to their infant’s health and development.

This project is an initiative of: Sustainable & Functional Textiles research group
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of six months, with complementary feeding until two years (WHO, 2023). Breastfeeding promotes infant cognitive development, reduces the risk of obesity and increases intelligence compared to infants who are breastfed for less than three months or not at all (Binns et al., 2016). In addition, breast milk has a short-term positive effect on the development of the baby's immune system and gut microbiota (Andreas et al., 2015). For mothers, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer, contributes to better birth planning and reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes (Victora et al., 2016).

Yet, in 2023, only 44% of babies aged 0-6 months were exclusively breastfed worldwide, and in high-income countries this was only 37%. A major reason why mothers often do not breastfeed exclusively for six months is lactation problems, concerns about milk production, and uncertainty about their baby's nutritional status and weight (Odem et al., 2013). These concerns highlight the need for the development of a reliable method to accurately measure milk consumption – both in the clinic and at home.

To meet this need, Wageningen University and the University of Twente are collaborating with Saxion’s Sustainable & Functional Textiles (S&FT) research group to develop an innovative smart baby romper. This romper is equipped with modular sensors that monitor various aspects of the baby’s feeding behavior.

The functional prototype is designed and developed to measure a baby’s milk consumption during breastfeeding. By focusing on the development and integration of sensory systems in everyday baby clothing, this project offers an innovative solution that contributes to the well-being and health monitoring of young children.

Project objective

The aim of this study is to investigate and develop reliable methods for measuring infant milk consumption, and to promote breastfeeding through these methods. The prototypes are a first step towards user testing and support the transition from prototype to scalable production processes.

Project duration

The project has been successfully completed and we are now exploring opportunities for a follow-up trajectory. We are particularly interested in building on the obtained results and insights to further develop the wearable, deepen the collaboration or expand the scope of the study.

Partners

This project is a collaboration between the Sustainable & Functional Textiles research group, Wageningen University Division of Human Nutrition and Health, University of Twente Human Media Interaction and Indre Kalinauskaite from UMC Utrecht.