Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review of Multi-Level Responses Using the Socioecological Model (2019–2026)

Infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E) is a critical component of maternal and child health that is often insufficiently integrated into disaster preparedness, response, and recovery frameworks, even in high-income countries. Emergencies such as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, winter storms, and evacuations can disrupt breastfeeding, safe formula feeding, access to supplies, and caregiver support, with significant implications for infant and maternal health. Despite existing global guidance, empirical evidence on how high-income countries address infant feeding during emergencies remains fragmented. This scoping review aims to map peer-reviewed evidence published between 2019 and 2026 on how high-income countries have addressed infant and young child feeding in emergency contexts. Guided by the Population–Concept–Context framework and conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the review focuses on policies, preparedness systems, health system practices, and community-, interpersonal-, and individual-level supports related to IYCF-E. The Socioecological Model is used to organize and synthesize findings across multiple levels of response. The review includes empirical studies involving infants and young children aged 0–23 months, pregnant and lactating women, caregivers, healthcare providers, emergency responders, and policymakers in emergency and disaster settings across preparedness, response, and recovery phases. Rather than evaluating intervention effectiveness, the review emphasizes existing responses, including the integration of infant feeding considerations into emergency frameworks, health system and community support mechanisms, and caregiver experiences. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive mapping of recent evidence on IYCF-E in high-income countries, identification of multi-level responses and policy gaps, and documentation of barriers to implementation. Findings will help clarify where infant feeding considerations are addressed or overlooked in emergency systems and will inform future research, policy development, and disaster preparedness planning to better support caregivers and infants during emergencies.