Rosalind Franklin Society Proudly Announces the 2022 Award Recipient for Breastfeeding Medicine

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months, but many mothers are unable to meet this goal. A major reason why mothers undergo early, unplanned breastfeeding cessation is perceived inadequate milk supply (PIMS). We hypothesized that defining genetic polymorphisms associated with PIMS could aid early identification of at-risk mothers, providing an opportunity for targeted lactation support. This prospective observational cohort study followed 221 breastfeeding mothers for 12 months, collecting medical, demographic, and breastfeeding characteristics. Eighteen mammary secretory genes were assessed for single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 88 women (45 with PIMS and 43 with perceived adequate milk supply [PAMS]), matched by age, race, and parity. Hierarchical regressions were used to assess the ability of genotype to aid PIMS prediction. We found that mothers with PIMS exclusively breastfed for a shorter period and reported lower milk production, and their infants displayed reduced weight-for length Z-score gains relative to mothers with PAMS. Maternal genotype for the rs2271714 variant within milk fat globule EGF and factor V/VIII domain containing gene (MFGE8) was associated with PIMS status and duration of exclusive breastfeeding.