The purpose of this study is to explore the effect maternal obesity and breastfeeding play on infant body composition. The investigators hypothesize in the first 6 months of life breast fed offspring from overweight / obese mothers will be fatter with greater trunk fat mass and accumulate fat at a greater rate than breast fed infants from normal weight mothers. Furthermore, the investigators postulate that circulating maternal milk adipocytokines will positively correlate to total fat mass at six months of age.
The objective of this study is to determine if offspring from overweight/obese non-diabetic mothers whom breastfeed have greater total fat and trunk fat mass and accumulate fat mass at a greater rate from \~ 1 month to 6 months of life compared to breastfed infants from normal weight mothers. Specific Aim 1: Understand how maternal obesity and breast-feeding impact body composition of the offspring. Based upon the investigators preliminary data and counter to accepted dogma the hypothesis is at six months of age total fat mass, particularly in the trunk will be elevated at 6 months of age in infants whose mother was either overweight or obese vs. infants from normal weight mothers. Specific Aim 2: Identify adipocytokines in breast milk. The postulate is breast milk from overweight and obese mothers will have greater levels of insulin, glucose, Ghrelin, IGF-1, IL-6, TNFα, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and lower Leptin levels than breast milk from normal weight mothers and will be correlated with offspring fat mass.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
37
There is no intervention other than mothers must exclusively breastfeed.
The association of breast milk adipocytokines with maternal body mass index at one and 6-months of age.
The associations between breast milk adipocytokines and maternal fatness (i.e. body mass index) will be determined at both one and 6-months.
Time frame: One to 6-months.
The association of breast milk adipocytokines with infant body composition at one and 6-months of age.
The associations between breast milk adipocytokines and infant body composition (i.e. total fat and fat-free mass and the percentage of body fat) will be determined at both one and 6-months.
Time frame: One to 6-months.
The change in infant body composition (body fat and fat-free mass) from one to 6-months of age.
The change in infant body composition will be measured from 1 to 6-months. Body composition is defined as the change (in grams) in total fat mass, total fat-free mass and the percentage of fat mass (%fat).
Time frame: One to 6-months.
The change in breast milk adipocytokines levels from one to 6-months.
The change in leptin (pg/mL), insulin (pg/mL), glucose (mg/mL), ghrelin (pg/mL), IGF-1 (pg/mL), IL-6 (pg/mL), TNFα (pg/mL), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (pg/mL) will be determined in breast milk from one and 6-months.
Time frame: One to 6-months.
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