Glossary

Terms and definitions

Breastfeeding: The practice of feeding an infant or young child breast milk directly from the breast. Also called nursing.

Breast milk or human milk: Milk produced by the human mammary glands to feed infants and young children. The terms breast milk and human milk can be used interchangeably.

Complementary foods: Foods and drinks other than breast milk and infant formula that are introduced to infants around 6 months of age. Examples include infant cereals, fruits, and vegetables. These foods "complement" or add to the breast milk or infant formula that children are fed. Complementary foods can also be called solid foods.

Donor human milk: Donor human milk is pasteurized breast milk that has been donated to a milk bank.

Emergency: Can include recent infectious outbreaks, natural disasters and severe weather, radiation emergencies, bioterrorism, chemical emergencies, or pandemics.

Exclusive breastfeeding: Feeding a baby only breast milk, not any other foods or liquids (including infant formula or water), except for medications or vitamin and mineral supplements.

Expressing milk: The process of removing milk from the breast, usually done with a manual or electric breast pump or by hand (called hand expression).

Hand expression: A technique used to release breast milk from the breast by hand and without using a breast pump.

Infant feeding supplies: Infant feeding items include bottles and the nipples, rings, and caps that go with them. Certain bottles also may include valves or membranes. Some infants may be fed with a syringe, medicine cup, spoon, or supplemental nursing system.

IYCF-E: Infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E) is the promotion and prioritization of safe and appropriate feeding for infants and young children (birth to 2 years) during a natural disaster or other emergency.

Lactation support providers: Someone trained in providing support to individuals who are lactating. Lactation support providers include lactation consultants, breastfeeding counselors, breastfeeding peer counselors, and lactation educators.

Mixed feeding: Feeding an infant both breast milk and infant formula. Mixed feeding is also known as combination feeding.

Natural disaster: Includes different types of natural events—such as a flood, hurricane, earthquake, or severe weather—that pose a threat to human health and safety, property, and critical infrastructure.

People experiencing displacement: People who must leave their homes as the result of a disaster or crisis.

Postpartum: Related to the weeks following the birth of a child.

Powdered infant formula (PIF): A breast milk substitute that requires mixing with safe water before feeding.

Ready-to-Feed (RTF) infant formula: A liquid breast milk substitute that does not require mixing with water before feeding. RTF infant formula can also be called ready-to-use infant formula (RUIF).

Relactation: The process by which a mother reestablishes lactation after having stopped for some time (weeks or months).