@article{discovery10159972,
       publisher = {MDPI AG},
            year = {2022},
           title = {A breastfeeding relaxation intervention promotes growth in late preterm and early term infants: results from a randomized controlled trial},
         journal = {Nutrients},
          number = {23},
           month = {November},
          volume = {14},
            note = {{\copyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).},
        abstract = {Breastfeeding involves signaling between mother and offspring through biological (breast milk) and behavioral pathways. This study tested this by examining the effects of a relaxation intervention in an understudied infant population. Breastfeeding mothers of late preterm (340/7-366/7 weeks) and early term (370/7-386/7 weeks) infants were randomized to the relaxation group (RG, n = 35), where they were asked to listen to a meditation recording while breastfeeding from 3 weeks post-delivery, or the control group (CG, n = 37) where no intervention was given. Primary outcomes-maternal stress and infant weight-were assessed at 2-3 (baseline) and 6-8 weeks post-delivery. Secondary outcomes included infant length, infant behavior, maternal verbal memory, salivary cortisol, and breast milk composition. Infants in the RG had significantly higher change in weight-for-age Z-score compared to those in CG (effect size: 0.4; 95\% CI: 0.09, 0.71; p = 0.01), and shorter crying duration [RG: 5.0 min, 0.0-120.0 vs. CG: 30.0 min, 0.0-142.0; p = 0.03]. RG mothers had greater reduction in cortisol (effect size: ?0.08 ug/dL, 95\% CI ?0.15, ?0.01; p = 0.03) and better maternal verbal learning score (effect size: 1.1 words, 95\% CI 0.04, 2.1; p = 0.04) than CG mothers, but did not differ in stress scores. A simple relaxation intervention during breastfeeding could be beneficial in promoting growth of late preterm and early term infants. Further investigation of other potential biological and behavioral mediators is warranted.},
          author = {Dib, Sarah and Wells, J and Eaton, Simon and Fewtrell, M},
             url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14235041},
        keywords = {preterm; breastfeeding; maternal stress; growth; parent-offspring signaling; late preterm; early term; breast milk composition; relaxation}
}