Human MilkResearchers At UC San Diego Are Learning About the Benefits of Human Milk and How It Influences Infant and Child Health

The purpose of this project is to collect and store breast milk samples and health information about moms and their babies in a Human Milk Biorepository at UCSD. Through these studies, researchers hope to understand more about the benefits of breast milk, and how it prevents or treats child health problems.

The purpose of this substudy is to learn how exposures to COVID-19 and breastfeeding may affect the development of the child. Women who contact the UCSD Human Milk Biorepository will be screened for possible COVID-19 infection or exposure. Women will be eligible to enroll in the COVID-19 sub-study if they are confirmed positive, are presumptive positive, are symptomatic but not tested, or have confirmed exposure but are asymptomatic.

The purpose of this substudy is to learn more about maternal use of antibiotics in women who do or do not breastfeed, and how this may influence infant and child health. Women who contact or are referred to the UCSD Human Milk Biorepository will be screened to participate in the Antibiotic Exposure sub-study. Women will be eligible to enroll in the Antibiotic Exposure sub-study if they are 18 years of age or older, have a singleton infant who is <3 months of age at the time of recruitment, and agree to all requirements of the study.

The purpose of this substudy is to review maternal medical exposure and how that may impact various components of human milk, the bacteria in the breastfed infant's gut, and the overall health and development of the breastfeeding child.

Have been or may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Have or have not been prescribed one of several commonly used antibiotics including azithromycin, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, or nitrofurantoin.