Stress and Breast Milk Study In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

A Pilot Test to Evaluate the Effect of Maternal Stress on Breastmilk Quantity and Stress Biomarkers in Mothers and Their Infants

The overall goal of this research is to clarify the relationship between reported maternal stress, biological measures of maternal stress, breast milk biomarkers and milk quantity. Our primary hypothesis is that measures of maternal stress are associated with cortisol, cytokines, and other stress markers in the blood, which impacts breast milk quantity and composition and which may impact infant health.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Baby will remain in mom's legal custody
• Intends to exclusively breastfeed during the NICU stay
• Has kept a daily log of milk expression (pump or hand expression) with date/time/quantity since birth of their child
• Less than 7 days postpartum

Exclusion Criteria:

• Baby and mother are to be separated due to legal custody issues
• Medical contraindication to breastfeeding
• Non-English speaking
• Unable to answer a written survey in English
• More than 50% of infant intake is not mother's own milk at 4 weeks postpartum