Understanding what's in breast milk and how it affects babies
The Multi-Omic Milk (MuMi) Study: Leveraging the IMiC Platform and the CHILD Cohort to study human milk as a biological system and understand its composition, determinants and impacts on child health
Researchers are looking at many parts of breast milk from mothers and infants to see how milk ingredients relate to babies' growth, immunity, and allergy risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Manitoba NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winnipeg, Canada) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139437 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project combines the International Milk Composition (IMiC) network and the Canadian CHILD birth cohort to treat breast milk as a complex biological system. Scientists will analyze milk from about 1,600 mother–baby pairs for sugars, fats, proteins, bacteria, and thousands of metabolites using modern multi-omic methods. They will link those milk measurements to child health records such as growth, allergy, and development outcomes. Advanced data science and AI tools will be used to understand how maternal, infant, and environmental factors shape milk and child health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are breastfeeding mothers and their infants or young children who can provide milk samples and health information, especially families enrolled in or near the CHILD cohort.
Not a fit: Families who do not breastfeed or who seek immediate clinical treatment rather than contributing to research findings may not receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify milk components that support healthy growth and lower allergy risk, helping to improve breastfeeding guidance and future nutrition strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller studies have linked specific milk sugars, fats, and microbes to infant outcomes, but this large multi-omic, 1,600-pair approach is more comprehensive and partly novel.
Where this research is happening
Winnipeg, Canada
- University of Manitoba — Winnipeg, Canada (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Azad, Meghan Brianne — University of Manitoba
- Study coordinator: Azad, Meghan Brianne
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.