Clinical Studies

Study for Evidence of Transmission and Antibodies in Breast Milk of COVID-19 Positive Mothers

A collaborative project between researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), New York University (NYU) and University of Idaho will examine whether mothers can transmit COVID-19 through breast milk, and whether the breast milk itself has immunological properties against the disease.

Read more about the study.

Development of Mucosal and Systemic Immunity and Risk of Food Allergy

The “Development of Mucosal and Systemic Immunity and Risk of Food Allergy” study is following mother-infant pairs prenatally or immediately postnatally for a cohort study to assess the development of microbiome, infant immune system and allergic diseases in the first 5 years of life. We study infants born to families with a parent(s) or older sibling(s) with allergic diseases, especially food allergy, in the Greater Rochester area and infants born in the Old Order Mennonite community in the Finger Lakes region, who have a low risk of developing allergic diseases.

Does Breast Milk Offer Protection from Infectious Diseases in Infants?

This initiative explores whether breast milk can offer infants protection from infectious diseases. Researchers will analyze breast milk samples from different geographical areas of the world to determine whether antibodies are passed from mothers to infants through breast milk.

Five research institutions are involved in the initiative and URMC was selected as the coordinating center for the project.