Research, Funding, and Awards

  • Mothers and Newborn Infants - Participants Request

    Are you a pregnant and planning to breastfeeding your infant?

    Are you a mother with an infant younger than 6 weeks who is breast and bottle feeding? 

    Are you and your infant interested in becoming involved in research to support mothers and infants breastfeeding at home?

    We will ask you to participate in a two studies in your home.

    First to measure your infant’s sucking effort during 6- 7 home visits. The home visits will include measuring your infant’s sucking effort during 4 bottle feeding and 2 breastfeeding sessions over a 3 week period feeding. Your infant’s bottle feeding sucking effort will be measured using an Enfamil nipple. Your infant’s breastfeeding effort will be measured by a feeding tube taped to your breast. Your infant must be less than 6 weeks of age and be breastfeeding at least once a day. Each visit will occur in the morning on a day scheduled at your convenience. The day of the visit you will be contacted in the morning via text to verify that you and your infant are available for us to collect data in your home. Each visit will take an hour of your time.

    Second, to digitally record your infant’s breastfeeding sucking effort during the second home visit.

    You may choose to participate in only one or both of the studies.

    Compensation for you and your infant participation will be in the form of Target gift cards in the amount of $10 per home visit for measuring infants’ sucking effort (up to $70), and $15 for digitally recording the second breastfeeding session.  A total of $85 Target gift cards will be given for participating in both studies. 

    Thank you.

    This study has been approved by the University of Connecticut Institutional Review Board; Protocol #H16-199.


    For more information, contact: Ruth Lucas at ruth.lucas@uconn.edu