Anaemia in expectant mothers, which causes low birth weight and unhealthier babies, is likely to rise by a further 1.2m in Asia and 700,000 in Africa.

Iron deficiency is the other concern for an all-breast-milk diet, especially for children born premature, or those whose moms are anemic and don't produce enough iron in their milk.

Babies exclusively breastfed for six months are at a higher risk of developing anaemia, which has been linked to adverse mental, motor and psychosocial problems.