Is your breast milk good for baby -University of Massachusetts

A study on breast milk, a healthy diet seeks participants by the University of Massachusetts 

The University of Massachusetts environmental toxicologist Kathleen Arcaro, nutritionist Lindiwe Sibeko and cancer epidemiologist Susan Sturgeon received a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health last fall to measure the impact of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables on breast milk and the risk of breast cancer.

They are New Moms Wellness Study was put on hold for a few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now launching as a fully remote study and is seeking participants, with focused outreach to women of color, who will be monitored with some receiving regular deliveries of produce.
The three women, all of whom have doctorates in their fields, were asked about the study as well as their particular area of expertise.
Would you explain the premise of this study and what prompted it? I understand there was an earlier related pilot study.
Sturgeon: Yes. Laboratory data show that numerous compounds present in fruits and vegetables have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties that could reduce breast cancer risk. And, consistent with these laboratory data, our small pilot study showed promising results in those breastfeeding women who ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables had lower levels of certain markers of inflammation in their breast milk than women who did not.
Our hypothesis is that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables after childbirth can lower inflammation in the breast and have other favorable effects in the breast tissue that lower the risk of developing breast cancer.
How will the funding support the study over five years, and what makes the study a randomized trial?
Sturgeon: A total of 400 study participants will be randomized to participate in the intervention or control group of the study. Randomization means which group a participant is assigned to is determined by chance.

Women participate in the study for one year, and we hope to recruit about 100 women each year for four years.
In the intervention group, women will receive weekly deliveries of fruits and vegetables for 20 weeks, and weekly counseling for a year will be provided to help them reach the study goal of eight to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
In the control group, women will be counseled to follow a nutrition plan recommended for breastfeeding women.
The funding supports many efforts involved in carrying out this unique study: nutrition counseling, lactation counseling, questionnaires, fruit and vegetable delivery, and in the fifth year conducting laboratory analyses on milk and other samples that will we collect.
Women also receive monetary compensation for participating in the study.

What prerequisites must you meet in order to participate in the study, and what are your responsibilities?

Sturgeon: Potentially eligible women must either be expecting a child right now and intend to breastfeed, or they must have just given birth and be nursing.

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst must be 25 miles away from the residence of the women.

They must be prepared to consent to up to four video or phone conversations, as well as up to four samples of breast milk and newborn feces.

The research is completed in its entirety without any face-to-face interactions.

For instance, questionnaires are performed through video or phone conversations, counselling is conducted over the phone, fruit and vegetable boxes are brought curbside upon arrangement, and milk and other sample pick-ups are also made upon arrangement to be delivered curbside.

Sibeko: The USDA does an excellent job providing guidelines for pregnant and lactating women using the MyPlate Plan, a user-friendly guide that promotes a balanced diet inclusive of all food groups, with guidance on serving sizes and variation to achieve a balanced diet that contributes to a healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding experience.

How will you work with the control group and the diet intervention group to monitor compliance with the study? 

Sibeko: Our study protocol includes a close follow-up and contact with study participants.The intervention participants are followed by trained nutrition personnel who help with setting goals that help make the diet intervention feasible and achievable.We follow the control group as well, here the nutrition personnel encourages the use of the USDA guidelines for lactating women.

How will the intervention group get its daily supply of vegetables and fruits and are there certain types of fruits and vegetables involved? 

Sibeko: During the 20-week intervention, participants receive weekly boxes providing a total of 32 servings of fruits and vegetables.This supplemental box of produce is packed following specific classifications of produce based on nutrient and phytochemical profiles. Additionally, each box includes simple recipes to assist participants in meal preparation.

On a weekly basis, each intervention participant has an assigned trained nutrition counselor who checks in with them to assess progress on intake goals and provide guidance and support. The nutrition counseling will continue for a year, to support women in maintaining their dietary intake past the 20-week intervention period.We also have a lactation consultant available to participants to provide professional breastfeeding support as needed.

How many participants do you have thus far, and how diverse is the group, and is diversity important, and if so why?

Sibeko: We are at the beginning of the study and are actively recruiting participants. There is an under-representation of racial/ethnic minorities in clinical trials which often limits the generalization of study outcomes. Given my health equity research agenda, this study is intentional in recruiting women of color, with a focus on African American and Latina/ Hispanic women.

How might what is learned from the study contribute to women, in general, eating a healthier diet?Sibeko: Our study will elucidate the impact of a healthier diet and the conditions that support women to follow a focused health message.And you are still recruiting participants?

Sibeko: Yes, very much so. It’s important to note we are also recruiting women during pregnancy. read more.......