Feeding Infants in Nova Scotia: an Exploratory Analysis of Responsive Feeding With Mother's Milk

Nova Scotia has among the lowest breastfeeding rates in Canada, with less than one quarter of infants receiving Health Canada's recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. Compared with feeding formula, breastfeeding has been linked with a number of health advantages, including fewer infections, higher IQ, and a lowered risk of obesity later in life.

How infants consume human milk is changing. Pumping milk has grown in popularity in recent years because some mothers may feel stigmatized breastfeeding, especially in public, but also because it allows other caregivers to help with feeding. Although pumped human milk is considered equal to breastfeeding, there is very little research in this area, especially around responsive feeding and later health outcomes. Since pumped milk is fed from a bottle, the health benefits may be lost (for instance, this may impact a baby's ability to understand if s/he is hungry or full).

The primary aim of this study is to determine if the volume of human milk an infant consumes differs if they consume milk from a bottle versus the breast. The investigators will conduct a cross-over trial in which 62 mother-infant pairs will be randomized to feed at the breast or from a bottle for 24 hours, have a 24 hour wash-out period, and then 'cross-over' to another 24 hour session with the opposite 'treatment.' The volume of milk consumed at each feed within the 24 hour window (via indirect weighing, or weighing the baby before and after eating) will be recorded to determine if there are differences in milk consumption. Mother-infant pairs will complete this 3-day study three times, at 6 weeks, 4 months, and 6 months.

Information from this study will help to better understand current infant feeding practices in Nova Scotia, and the potential role this plays in future health outcomes. Evidence from this study may help to identify means of improving feeding practices and promoting human milk as the main food for Nova Scotian infants, setting them on a path for the best start in life.