Understanding long-term health and development in babies born very early who received mother's milk
Early Childhood Neurodevelopmental, Economic and Nutritional Outcomes among Former Very Low Birth Weight Infants from the Reducing Disparity in Mother's Own Milk (ReDiMOM) Trial
This project looks at how providing mother's own milk to very preterm infants in the NICU affects their brain development, health, and family finances later in childhood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rush University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11132828 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Babies born very early often face health challenges, including issues with brain development and a higher risk of obesity. Feeding mother's own milk during their time in the NICU might help reduce these risks. This project follows up on a previous effort, the ReDiMOM trial, which explored if financial support could help mothers provide more milk. We want to see how these children are doing years later, focusing on their brain development, overall health, and the economic impact on their families.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research focuses on children who were born very preterm and participated in the original ReDiMOM trial, and their families.
Not a fit: Patients who were not born very preterm or did not participate in the original ReDiMOM trial would not directly benefit from this specific follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that supporting mothers to provide their own milk to very preterm infants leads to better long-term health and financial outcomes for these children and their families.
How similar studies have performed: Observational studies have suggested health and economic benefits from mother's own milk, but this follow-up builds on a unique randomized trial that tested an intervention to increase milk provision.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Rush University Medical Center — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Aloka Lahoti — Rush University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Patel, Aloka Lahoti
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.