Dataset Information

Effects of relaxation therapy on maternal psychological state, infant growth and gut microbiome: protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating mother-infant signalling during lactation following late preterm and early term delivery.

ABSTRACT: Background:Breastfeeding is of great importance for infant health both short and long term, especially for those born preterm. Apart from the socio-economic and cultural factors which may influence a mother's decision on breastfeeding, lactation performance is also influenced by maternal physiological and psychological condition, as well as infant behavioural factors. The aim of this project is to investigate physiological, psychological and anthropological aspects of 'signalling' between mother and infant during lactation in a stressful situation, following late preterm delivery, using an experimental approach. Method:A single blind parallel randomised controlled trial will be conducted in Chinese primiparous mothers who deliver a infant (34 0/7-37 6/7) weeks and plan to exclusively breastfeed. Mothers will be recruited from four local community clinics attached to Beijing Children Hospital. Two home visits will be arranged at one week and eight weeks postpartum. Participants will be randomly assigned to either intervention arm or control (no intervention) before the first home visit. Mothers from the intervention group will be asked to listen to an audio recording with relaxation meditation daily during breastfeeding. Maternal stress and anxiety will be measured at one week and eight week postpartum using Chinese version of Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Infant weight and length gain (as SD scores) from one to eight week will be measured using anthropometry. Milk volume will be measured using 48-h test-weighing method. Breast milk samples and mother and infant's stool samples will be collected to measure macronutrient and microbiome content. Anthropometric measurements (weight, length and head circumference) will be performed during all home visits. Discussion:Primary outcomes of this study will be the effect of the intervention on maternal psychological state, and infant growth. Other outcomes will include the effect of the intervention on milk production, infant behaviours, and the microbiome composition in breastmilk and maternal and infant's gut. Results of this study will provide greater understanding about maternal-infant factors which influence the success of breastfeeding, and which may then be useful targets for future interventions. Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03674632. Registered 14 September 2018.

SUBMITTER: Yu J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6916017 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Effects of relaxation therapy on maternal psychological state, infant growth and gut microbiome: protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating mother-infant signalling during lactation following late preterm and early term delivery.

Yu Jinyue J Wells Jonathan J Wei Zhuang Z Fewtrell Mary M

International breastfeeding journal 20191216

<h4>Background</h4>Breastfeeding is of great importance for infant health both short and long term, especially for those born preterm. Apart from the socio-economic and cultural factors which may influence a mother's decision on breastfeeding, lactation performance is also influenced by maternal physiological and psychological condition, as well as infant behavioural factors. The aim of this project is to investigate physiological, psychological and anthropological aspects of 'signalling' betwee ...[more]

PMID: 31889973

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Project description:BackgroundLate preterm infants suffer from more complications and are less likely to be breastfed compared to term infants and their mothers experience higher levels of stress than mothers with term infants. The physiological or hormonal responses that influence milk ejection, milk production, and/or maternal behaviour are possible mechanisms by which maternal distress could negatively influence breastfeeding success. Maternal mood might also affect infant behaviour (feeding, sleeping, and crying) through changes in milk volume and composition, and consequently breastfeeding success and infant growth. Previous research, using relaxation therapy in 64 Malaysian first-time mothers breastfeeding their full-term infants, demonstrated that the therapy was effective in reducing maternal stress and improving infant growth. We hypothesise that expected benefits are even greater in a more vulnerable population where additional breastfeeding support is especially needed, such as in mothers of late preterm infants.Methods/designThis protocol describes our randomised controlled trial that tests whether a breastfeeding meditation audio reduces maternal stress in mothers of late preterm infants in London. Home visits will be conducted at 2-3 and 6-8 weeks post-delivery. Participants will be randomised to a control group or an intervention group, where mothers will be asked to listen to a meditation tape on a daily basis while breastfeeding. The main outcomes of the intervention will be maternal stress markers and infant weight Z-score. Potential mediators will be the secondary outcomes and include breast milk macronutrient and hormone levels (ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, and adiponectin), milk volume assessed by 48-h test-weighing, and maternal engagement with the infant. Infant behaviour, including crying and sleeping, and infant appetite will be evaluated. Data about other mediators such as maternal perception of milk supply and salivary oxytocin will be collected.DiscussionWe hypothesise that the use of the breastfeeding meditation will reduce maternal stress and consequently improve infant growth mediated by changes in milk composition and volume and maternal behaviour. This study will allow us to understand the mother-infant factors that influence breastfeeding in late preterm infants and potentially identify a method that could improve mother, infant, and breastfeeding outcomes.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03791749. Registered 1 January 2019.

Project description:The physiological and psychological signalling between mother and infant during lactation is one of the prominent mother-infant factors that may influence breastfeeding outcomes. The infant can 'signal' his needs through vocalisation, and the mother can respond by allowing or restricting nipple access, which might alter the breast milk composition or volume. This may lead to parent-offspring conflict during the lactation period. Challenging infant behaviour has also been associated with maternal psychological distress, which might affect breastfeeding performance. Most attempts to improve breastfeeding rates focus on providing additional support, yet many aspects of the breastfeeding process are poorly understood. Thus, our objective is to investigate mother-infant signalling during breastfeeding by manipulating maternal psychological state using a relaxation therapy intervention. The study will test the hypothesis that mothers who listen to the therapy will be more relaxed/less stressed and this will favourably alter breast milk composition and/or affect milk volume and hence influence infant outcomes.A randomised controlled trial will be conducted in first-time breastfeeding mothers and their new-born infants. Pregnant mothers will be recruited at antenatal clinics in Selangor, Malaysia, and four home visits will be carried out at 2, 6, 12 and 14 weeks postnatally. Participants will be randomised into a control and an intervention group in the early post-partum period. Mothers from the intervention group will be asked to listen daily to an audio recording with relaxation therapy during breastfeeding. Maternal psychological state, breastfeeding practices and infant behaviour will be assessed using validated questionnaires. Milk volume will be measured using stable isotopes. Breast milk samples will be collected to measure macronutrient content and hormone levels. Anthropometric measurements (weight, length and head circumference) will be performed during all home visits, including body composition at week 14.The main outcomes will be the effect of the intervention on maternal psychological state, milk production, cortisol levels, and infant behaviour and growth. Secondary outcomes will be associations between breast milk composition and infant appetite and growth. This study aims to provide a greater understanding of maternal-infant factors which influence breastfeeding outcomes and which may be useful targets for future interventions.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01971216.

Dataset Information

Effects of relaxation therapy on maternal psychological state, infant growth and gut microbiome: protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating mother-infant signalling during lactation following late preterm and early term delivery.

Publications

Effects of relaxation therapy on maternal psychological state, infant growth and gut microbiome: protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating mother-infant signalling during lactation following late preterm and early term delivery.

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