The Design and Mechanics of an Accessible Human Milk Research Biorepository.

Introduction: Human milk is the normative standard for infant/toddler nutrition. To better understand human milk's imprinting on health, and inform complex decisions about maternal medication, substance use, and other exposures during lactation, researchers at University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) established Mommy's Milk, a Human Milk Research Biorepository (HMB). Materials and
Methods: The HMB was founded in 2014 with the goal of building a constant but rotating inventory of 3,000 human milk samples available for future research. Following informed consent, women in the United States or Canada provide 50 mL up to a full pump of expressed breast milk. Participants are also interviewed about their sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy history, dietary intake, maternal stress, anxiety and depression, breastfeeding behaviors, and signs and symptoms of potential adverse reactions in the offspring. Data on growth of the infant/toddler are captured from medical records, and neurodevelopmental assessments are conducted longitudinally. Sample collections occur at UC San Diego, community sites, or the woman's home, and are aliquoted and stored at -80°C.
Results: To date, 1,362 unique women have contributed to the HMB. The majority of mothers were between the ages of 31-35, and identified as White. The range of ages of breastfed offspring was well-represented through 23 months. Conclusions: The HMB is a well-characterized, accessible research resource that can contribute to better understanding of the characteristics of human milk, and potential effects of maternal medications, substances, and other environmental agents on the health and development of the breastfed infant/toddler.