MMR Research Opportunity
The InfantRisk Center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is currently evaluating breastmilk samples from mothers who plan to or have recently had an MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine/booster.
The project’s goal is to determine if antibodies increase in breastmilk following vaccination and if they are beneficial to breastfed infants who are too young to receive the MMR vaccine.
The study’s information webpage states, “There is an untested theory that vaccination during lactation would increase the amount of IgA present in the milk, which neutralizes the pathogen (measles), preventing it from systemically reaching the breastfed infant, therefore reducing the risk of infection.”
Learn more:
American Academy of Pediatrics
The following statements outline the importance of breastmilk, donor milk and milk banking:
Office of the Surgeon General
“Growing evidence supports the role of donated human milk in assisting infants with special needs, such as infants in newborn intensive care units who are unable to receive their own mothers’ milk, to achieve the best possible health outcome. In these situations, use of banked donor milk may protect the infant from the risks that might result from not breastfeeding.” - The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding (2011)
Our Research
In our quest to uncover the complexities and mysteries of breastmilk, we have participated in several research studies. Here are two published projects:
Monkeypox
COVID-19
Please see this webpage dedicated to COVID-19 resources and updates.
Additional Resources
Our Fact Sheet
