Breastfeeding & Infant Feeding Studies

For Everyone

At a glance

Learn about ongoing and past studies conducted by CDC and partners that explore breastfeeding and infant feeding practices. These include the Feeding My Baby and Me study that assesses feeding practices and related health outcomes from birth through 24 months.
A baby, seated in a highchair, receives corn from her mother.

How CDC studies infant feeding practices

Feeding My Baby and Me study is underway.

Feeding My Baby and Me, also known as Infant Feeding Practices Study III, or IFPS III for short, is a longitudinal study. It will follow about 2,500 mothers and children from birth through 24 months of age. This study will assess feeding practices and related health outcomes during a critical period of child development. Feeding My Baby and Me is conducted by CDC with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II) was conducted by FDA and CDC from 2005 to 2007. It was a longitudinal study, following about 2,000 mother-infant pairs from the third trimester of pregnancy throughout the first year of life. The objective was to study various infant feeding practices.

In 2012, the FDA and CDC conducted the Year Six Follow-Up (Y6FU) study among mothers and children who participated in the IFPS II. That study characterized the health, development, and dietary patterns of these children at 6 years of age.

Related pages

A mom hugs her young daughter.
Infant Feeding Practices Study (IFPS) II
Questionnaires used in the IFP Study II for U.S. breastfeeding and infant feeding patterns.
A pregnant woman, wearing a medical gown, sits on an exam table at a prenatal check-up. A doctor sits across from her.
IFPS II Methods and Results
Learn about the methods and results of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II.
A mom and daughter sit on a sofa and read a book together.
IFPS Year Six Follow-Up Study (Y6FU)
Learn more about the methods used within the Year Six Follow-Up Study.
Print
Content Source
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
About This Page
Published: October 15, 2024
Updated: August 3, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: August 3, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.