Synergistic Activity of Human Milk Nutrients and Infant Cognition

Description

Purpose: To establish a whole food, egg, as a viable study material to supplement mothers and infants with nutrients that support optimal brain development. There will be 84 breastfeeding dyads, 3 months postnatal. Mothers will be randomized to a whole egg or egg white (due to lack of an appropriate control food). Initial diet intake will be screened using the NDSR. Participants will come to the lab 3 times across 3 months (age 3 months, 4.5 months, and 6 months). Milk, saliva, and plasma will be collected from the mother, while saliva and plasma (heel stick) are collected from the infant. Diet data will be collected at each visit. The infant will complete a recognition memory test using electrophysiology at 6 months as well as the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 4.5 months. The mother will complete a temperament questionnaire at 3 months and 6 months.

Conditions

Breastfeeding, Exclusive

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Purpose: To establish a whole food, egg, as a viable study material to supplement mothers and infants with nutrients that support optimal brain development. There will be 84 breastfeeding dyads, 3 months postnatal. Mothers will be randomized to a whole egg or egg white (due to lack of an appropriate control food). Initial diet intake will be screened using the NDSR. Participants will come to the lab 3 times across 3 months (age 3 months, 4.5 months, and 6 months). Milk, saliva, and plasma will be collected from the mother, while saliva and plasma (heel stick) are collected from the infant. Diet data will be collected at each visit. The infant will complete a recognition memory test using electrophysiology at 6 months as well as the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 4.5 months. The mother will complete a temperament questionnaire at 3 months and 6 months.

Synergistic Activity of Choline, Lutein, and Docosahexaenoic Acid in Human Milk in Support of Cognitive Development: An Egg Intervention Feasibility Study

Synergistic Activity of Human Milk Nutrients and Infant Cognition

Condition
Breastfeeding, Exclusive
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Kannapolis

Nutrition Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States, 28081

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * infant is 12-15 weeks of age at enrollment
  • * healthy, lactating mother age 18-35
  • * gave birth at \>38 weeks gestation without remarkable incident
  • * consuming \<=50% of the recommended amounts of 2 of the 3, DHA, choline, and lutein
  • * infant with diagnosis or documented suspicion of developmental delay
  • * egg allergy or family history of egg allergy
  • * gestational diabetes
  • * any documented seizure activity

Ages Eligible for Study

3 Months to 35 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,

Carol L Cheatham, Ph.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Study Record Dates

2025-03