Macronutrients in Lactating NICU Parents - Impact of Kangaroo Care

Eligibility Criteria

• 1. Lactating parents of infants who are currently admitted to the UCDMC NICU and are expected to remain in the NICU for at least 2 weeks from study enrollment
• 2. Lactating parent is 18 years of age or older
• 3. Infant with prematurity or other conditions prohibiting nutritive feeding at the breast during the study period
• 4. Lactating parent plans to feed their infants breast milk for at least 1 month
• 5. Lactating parent is willing to refrain from tandem feeding another child during the study period
• 6. Willing to refrain from enrolling infant in an interventional research study that may impact growth or feeding tolerance during the study period
• 7. Lactating parent is willing to use a hospital grade pump available in the NICU to express milk for sample collection
• 8. Lactating Parent that is willing to travel to UCDMC on 4 occasions within a 10 day period for study visits
• 1. Physicians, nurses, fellows, residents, and NICU staff involved in the implementation of Kangaroo care for the MILK study.
• 1. Infant less than 1 week of age at enrollment
• 2. Lactating parents expressing breast milk for more than one infant
• 3. Lactating parents who are currently or plan to tandem feed another child during the study period
• 4. Lactating parents that are participating in an interventional research study that could influence breast milk production.
• 5. Lactating parents with infants deemed by primary investigator/primary care team to be too unstable for kangaroo care
• 6. Lactating parents that are unwilling to participate in kangaroo care
• 7. Dyads that have participated in nutritive feeding at the breast
• 8. Lactating parents that use recreational drugs that contraindicate breastfeeding/provision of breast milk
• 9. Lactating parents taking therapies, supplements, or medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding/provision of breast milk to their infant
• 10. Lactating parents using, or planning to use, any over-the-counter or prescription medication for the purpose of increasing milk supply (including domperidone, fenugreek, turmeric, blessed milk thistle, Brewer's yeast, or lactation cookies)
• 11. Lactating parents that are involuntarily confined
• 12. Lactating parents that are adults unable to consent
• 13. Lactating parents unwilling to travel to UC Davis NICU for study visits
• 14. Anyone deemed unfit for participation by the investigator(s)