Maternal medications linked to changes in protein and fat levels in human milk

In collaboration with Dr. Essi Whaites Heinonen, we examined the relationship between long-term maternal medication use and macronutrient composition in human milk.

How does a woman’s breastmilk change from one pregnancy to the next?

We collaborated with the Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence to discover that HMO profiles largely follow a highly personalized and predictable trajectory following different pregnancies irrespective of non-genetic influences.

Human milk is essential, yet scientists know little about it. UCSD plans to change that

UC San Diego formally inaugurates the Human Milk Institute, the first academic institution in the U.S. devoted to human milk.

Breast milk contains unique antibodies, Pitt researchers found

Researches at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analyzed Mommy’s Milk samples to determine each mom passes a unique set of breast milk antibodies to baby.

Researching breast milk at UC San Diego

Program Director of Mommy’s Milk and co-director of the Human Milk Institute, Dr. Christina Chambers, sits down with “Inside the Issues” host Alex Cohen to discuss the newly established institute.

UC San Diego Launches New Human Milk Institute

The UC San Diego Human Milk Institute (HMI) is established and will include Mommy’s Milk Human Milk Research Biorepository. The institute recognizes leaders in studying and advancing access to human milk.

UCLA-led study finds no evidence of COVID-19 transmission through breast milk feeding

A study led by researchers at UCLA Health, using Mommy’s Milk samples, finds no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission through breast milk.

Critical Questions: Researchers study human milk, pregnancy and COVID-19

The Human Milk Research Biorepository recruited residents of the United States or Canada, who were lactating and had tested posi­tive COVID-19 virus, to better understand the virus in relation to breastfeeding.

Is it safe to use weed while breastfeeding?

Mommy’s Milk research manager Kerri Bertrand discusses marijuana in relation to breastfeeding and findings from our published 2018 study.

Study: No Serious COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects in Breastfeeding Moms, Infants

We found after Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, breastfeeding mothers experienced similar side effects as non-breastfeeding women, and infants exhibited no serious side effects.

Do a Mom’s Medications Affect Her Breast Milk and Baby? New Center Investigates

UC San Diego School of Medicine awarded $6.1M in new collaborative research center funded by National Institutes of Health, Mommy’s Milk will collect samples to study effects of maternal antibiotic use on infant health.

New Studies Investigate How COVID-19 May Impact Breast Milk and Pregnancy

Women who are breastfeeding and come into contact with COVID-19 are asked to enroll in UC San Diego’s Human Milk Biorepository breast milk study.

COVID-19 Unlikely To Pass Through Breast Milk 

A study conducted by researchers at UC San Diego using Mommy’s Milk samples found that it is unlikely for pregnant women with COVID-19 to pass the virus to their fetuses.

Marijuana Found in Breast Milk Almost a Week After Use

Dr. Chambers and her research team collaborated with Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC San Diego to measure the levels of marijuana in the samples. Researchers detected THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, in 63% of the breast milk samples for up to six days after the mother’s last reported use.