Samantha J. Anthony, PhD

CONTACT

Rebecca Hobban, MD, MPH

CONTACT

Lead Sponsor

The Hospital for Sick Children

Collaborators

Age

All ages

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

•1. Consent provided
•2. Have delivered a preterm singleton or twin infant at \<35 weeks gestation admitted to a study NICU at birth or transferred into a study NICU from another NICU within the first 72 hours postpartum
•3. Day 5 or less postpartum (Day 1 = day of delivery) upon enrollment (ideally day 3 or less)
•4. Plans to lactate at least 2 weeks and initiate lactation with a breast pump
•5. Expected infant NICU stay of 7+ (ideally 14+) days in enrollment NICU(s)

•1. Potential study participant's infant is critically ill and not expected to survive or has lethal diagnosis with plans by medical team/family to redirect care
•2. Has delivered triplets or higher order multiples (potential confounder for lactation challenges; of note, triplets or higher are rare, on the order of a few parents annually)
•3. Lactation contraindication(s) (i.e., active chemotherapy) or declines lactation initiation
•4. History of breast surgery that may affect ability to lactate (i.e., breast reduction; breast augmentation that utilized nipple incisions)
•5. Using or planning to use hormonal birth control in the first 14 days post-partum as may affect secretory activation/lactation
•6. Unable/unwilling to be present in study NICU during any of first 5 days postpartum
•7. Presumption by the medical team that infant will be in study NICU for \<5 days