Doctoral Dissertation Research: Inflammation and mother-infant dynamics in an industrialized environment

人类生物学的基础研究已经深入了解了母乳喂养的复杂性，作为一种独特的母亲投资形式，母乳喂养对后代的暗示有反应，对环境的输入敏感，能够影响后代的短期和长期结果。虽然大部分研究都集中在婴儿生理学的影响上，但对母亲母乳喂养的生物学决定因素和影响的了解相对较少。本博士论文项目将研究母乳喂养的母亲生理动态，推进对人类免疫功能、生理状态和行为相互关联方式的认识。这项研究还可能为有关母乳喂养行为的公共卫生研究和实践提供信息。该项目将促进研究生和本科生的培训和指导，研究成果将与参与者社区以及更广泛的研究和公众分享。很少有研究直接考察围产期母体免疫功能、母体生理状态和人类母乳喂养行为之间的联系。本研究将纵向测量美国孕妇和产后妇女的母乳喂养行为、免疫生物标志物和感知生理和心理健康状况，这是一个表现出前所未有的母乳喂养行为差异的人群。由此产生的数据将用于验证两个主要假设：(1)妊娠后期炎症激活加剧将预测母乳喂养困难增加和母亲生理状态受损；(2)在产后早期继续皮肤对皮肤的母乳喂养将与更好地调节免疫“反弹”和增强母亲生理状态相对应。这项研究的结果有可能为当前的公共卫生战略提供信息，以(1)确定可能遇到母乳喂养成功障碍的母亲，(2)为妇女继续母乳喂养提供支持，以及(3)在从怀孕到产后过渡期间支持母亲的身心健康。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Fundamental research in human biology has provided insight into the complexity of breastfeeding as a unique form of maternal investment that is responsive to offspring cues, sensitive to environmental inputs, and capable of influencing short- and long-term offspring outcomes. While much of this research has focused on implications for infant physiology, comparatively little is known about the biological determinants and impacts of breastfeeding practices among mothers. This doctoral dissertation project will investigate the maternal physiological dynamics of breastfeeding, advancing knowledge about the ways in which immune function, physiological status, and behavior are interrelated in humans. The research may also inform public health research and practice about breastfeeding behaviors. The project will facilitate graduate and undergraduate training and mentoring, and research outcomes will be shared with the participant community as well as a broader research and public audience. Few studies have directly examined the link between maternal immune function, maternal physiological status, and breastfeeding behavior in humans during the perinatal period. This study will longitudinally measure breastfeeding behavior, immunological biomarkers, and perceived physical and mental well-being among a heterogenous sample of pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, a population exhibiting unprecedented variation in breastfeeding behavior. The resulting data will be used to test two overarching hypotheses: (1) heightened inflammatory activation in late pregnancy will predict increased breastfeeding difficulties and impaired maternal physiological status, and (2) continuation of skin-to-skin breastfeeding across the early postpartum period will correspond to better regulated immune “bounce-back” and enhanced maternal physiological status. Findings generated by this study have the potential to inform current public health strategies to (1) identify mothers who may experience heightened barriers to breastfeeding success, (2) provide support for women to continue breastfeeding, and (3) support mental and physical maternal well-being during the transition from pregnancy to the postpartum period.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.