Table 3 Scores for judging criteria for the ten highest ranked research questions on infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E)
From: Research priorities for improving infant and young child feeding in humanitarian emergencies
Research instrument | Research questions | Feasibility rank (score) | Operational relevance rank (score) | Disease burden rank (score) | Originality rank (score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Existing and new interventions | To what extend is cash transfer used to buy breast milk substitutes? | 3 (92.3) | 10 (88.9) | 29 (79.6) | 4 (84.0) |
Existing and new interventions | What are the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different complementary feeding interventions per se and comparatively, i.e., distribution of different food supplements, such as blended foods, ready to use foods, micro-nutrient powders, fresh foods; cash transfer; and vouchers assistance in different contexts, on IYCF-E practices, nutritional status and morbidity? | 31 (74.1) | 2 (94.4) | 2 (92.6) | 15 (72.0) |
Existing and new interventions | What is the long term effect of IYCF-E interventions, such baby tents after major natural disasters and IYCF component of CMAM programs, on IYCF practices of caretakers enrolled in the interventions, e.g., feeding colostrum, exclusive breastfeeding up to six months, dietary diversity for children more than 6 months? | 32 (74.0) | 20 (86.5) | 3 (90.4) | 5 (82.0) |
Existing and new interventions | In context where pre-emergency breastfeeding rates are low and breast milk substitutes use is high, how to effectively design IYCF-E programs: at the same time as protecting, promoting and supporting breast-feeding, what is the most effective mechanism for supplying breast milk substitute (either in kind, through voucher assistance or cash transfer), and how can it be best managed? | 34 (73.1) | 6 (90.7) | 24 (80.8) | 2 (87.0) |
Existing and new interventions | How to design re-lactation interventions and what are their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness on re-lactation rate? | 15 (83.3) | 40 (78.8) | 24 (80.8) | 2 (87.0) |
Existing and new interventions | How to provide effective psychological support to caretakers of infant and young children in different contexts, e.g., presence or absence of qualified staff? | 9 (86.0) | 10 (88.9) | 10 (86.0) | 19 (68.8) |
Basic epidemiological research | How to determine the number of potential beneficiaries and the coverage of IYCF-E programs? | 4 (90.7) | 1 (98.1) | 7 (88.5) | 37 (51.9) |
Existing and new interventions | When use of infant formula is necessary what are the pros and cons, e.g., safety, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness of distribution of ready to use infant formula compared to distribution of powdered infant formula plus kit for safer use of BMS, on nutritional status and morbidity? | 10 (85.2) | 17 (87.0) | 12 (84.6) | 13 (72.2) |
Existing and new interventions | How to calculate, e.g., by mathematical modelling, the impact of specific IYCF-E programs on nutritional status, morbidity and mortality? | 42 (67.6) | 34 (81.3) | 9 (86.4) | 1 (92.5) |
Policy and system | How to effectively link and mainstream IYCF-E interventions with other sectors such as health, WASH, food security and child protection? | 25 (76.9) | 3 (92.6) | 1 (96.2) | 27 (61.1) |