A study by Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute and icddr,b found that 82 percent of children who died after contracting measles had not received exclusive breastfeeding during their first six months. The findings were presented on Wednesday morning, August 19, 2026, at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in the capital. Researchers also reported that 65 percent of the children who died were malnourished, including 12 percent with severe malnutrition and 53 percent with moderate malnutrition.

The hospital-based study included 354 children admitted with measles. Among them, 43 percent were aged between three and nine months, while 38 percent had not been exclusively breastfed for the first six months after birth. The research paper was presented by Professor Mirza Mohammad Ziaul Islam, director of the institute, and Mustafizur Rahman, senior director at icddr,b.

Researchers grouped 341 children by age and vaccination status. They said further research is needed to determine why measles was confirmed among some children who had received two vaccine doses. Possible factors cited included insufficient immune response after vaccination, declining antibody protection over time, malnutrition, or individual differences, but the study did not identify which factor contributed.