None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Breast milk is the optimal form of infant feeding, and it is recommended that all infants should be exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months after birth. Breast milk contains the essential nutrients, immune factors and hormones to support infant growth and development. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the levels of these factors vary considerably between mothers, and that these differences may affect the short and longer-term health of the child. Maternal diet is thought to be an important determinant of the breast milk composition, however there is very little known about how changes to the maternal diet while breastfeeding can impact on breast milk composition. Many women in Australia currently consume poor quality Western diets that contain excess amounts of fat and added sugars, and there are suggestions that this might be having a negative effect on the quality of the mother’s milk. However, no studies have determined whether and to what extent improving dietary quality during breastfeeding can affect the composition of human milk. The aim of this research study is to determine the effect of improving dietary quality during breastfeeding on the concentrations of macronutrients (fat, sugar, lactose) and metabolic hormones (leptin, adiponectin, insulin, ghrelin) in breast milk.
Interventions
The study will be conducted over 3 weeks. Participants will complete three 24 h dietary recalls (2 week and 1 weekend days) for 1 week before the dietary intervention using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recall (ASA24). Habitual macronutrient intakes of the women will be assessed using this information. Following this baseline week, the 2-week dietary intervention phase will commence. The intervention will be targeted towards women interested in improving their dietary quality
The study will be conducted over 3 weeks. Participants will complete three 24 h dietary recalls (2 week and 1 weekend days) for 1 week before the dietary intervention using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recall (ASA24). Habitual macronutrient intakes of the women will be assessed using this information. Following this baseline week, the 2-week dietary intervention phase will commence. The intervention will be targeted towards women interested in improving their dietary quality, and will focus on reducing fat and sugar intake. The 2-week dietary intervention phase includes: 1. Participants consuming 7500kJ full day menu from Lite n' Easy, and additional snacks (~2000kJ per day) to meet energy requirements during lactation. The Lite n' Easy diets used during this period are focused on reducing intakes of discretionary foods, saturated fats and added sugars in comparison to the women’s habitual diet. 2. Food choices will cater to individual tastes and any allergies/food intolerances. All foods/snacks will be provided to women (via a home delivery service) to facilitate compliance. 3. Example of Lite n' Easy full day menu: Breakfast Option 1 - Nut cluster crunch with skim milk, 2 slices of wholemeal and seed toast with butter and vegemite. Morning snack - Peaches with raspberry sauce Option 2 - Baked beans, egg and cheese on 2 slices of multigrain toast. Morning Snack - Kiwi fruit Lunch Option 1 - Roasted vegetables and chicken salad with garlic and lemon vinegarette and a red apple Afternoon snack - Sweet corn fritters with tomato jam Option 2 - Tasmanian salmon risotto and peach cup Afternoon snack - Passionfruit yoghurt and maple coconut crunch with cranberries. Dinner - Range of dinner options to choose from, for exmaple: Roast chicken breast in mushroom sauce, served with seasonal vegetables and potato wedges, spaghetti marinara made with Australian salmon, prawns and calamari in a tomato Napoli sauce. 4. Participants will be asked to record any foods/drinks they consume other than those provided.
Sponsors
A/Prof Donna Geddes
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
6 Weeks to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Singleton pregnancy - Term delivery - Women who are currently breastfeeding - Mothers between 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-partum at the time of the first study visit - Infants should be growing normally (<90th percentile according to WHO standards). - Mother able to give written informed consent for herself and her infant.
Exclusion criteria
- Known major congenital abnormalities or health issues in the infant that could significantly affect feeding behavior - Pregnancy complications (e.g. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction) - Pre-term infants - Complementary feeding introduced before first study session - Maternal diseases known to affect gastric absorption - Maternal diabetes - Restrictive diets (e.g. gluten free, dairy free, vegan)
Outcome results
None listed