Motherhood in the NICU: Exploring the Journey of Lactating Mothers and their Neonates
Name:
Dr. Helen Hu
Email
hzhang6@peds.ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 328-6013
Faculty Department/Division
Pediatrics
This project is primarily:
CQI
Research Project Description:
Background
Lactation initiation and duration have significant implications for the health of both infants and mothers and are influenced by various factors, including social determinants of health (SDoH). Equitable access to lactation support is challenging and the rates of lactation success at our hospital reflects opportunity for improvement. To allocate resources effectively, it is crucial to understand the key factors impacting lactation success. While traditional data analysis methods are limited in exploring complex associations, we are currently leveraging AI tools to help clinicians identify high-risk women for lactation failure and provide targeted interventions to promote lactation success. Mothers of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face particularly unique challenges and it is imperative that we better understand these as we work to improve outcomes. There is limited literature regarding the experiences of these patients.
Aims:
This study aims to add to the limited literature regarding the experience of lactating mothers of babies admitted to the NICU. Our overall QI initiative aims to increase the number of postpartum women providing any human milk (HM) at discharge. Measures include the percentage of mothers continuing HM provision at discharge and 6 weeks post-discharge, with subgroup analysis for NICU mothers.
Methods
This aspect of our project will be a qualitative descriptive study that will combine prospectively collected survey and interview-based data. Interview transcripts will be coded for thematic analysis. Results will be an integral component of our cohesive QI initiative, which involves development of a clinical decision support tool, and help to inform the development of intervention bundles that will benefit lactation both in the NICU and newborn nursery.
Role of Medical Student
The medical student will be able to play a role from start to finish in this project, which has potential for generating first author publications. They will assist with IRB writing and submission, consenting and interviewing patients, and will learn qualitative data analysis methods. If the student is interested, they will also have the opportunity to participate in the larger ongoing QI initiative as well and learn about QI methodology.
Funding
This project will be a part of the MILK+ initiative, an AI/QI project funded through internal grant funding for Rapid AI Prototyping and Development for patient Safety (RAPiDS) projects, which prototypes novel AI solutions to QI challenges.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Predicting Anemia through Social Determinants of Health Screening in Pediatric Patients in a Primary Care Setting
Name:
Dr. Maria Kelly
Email
mnkelly@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 265-7231
Faculty Department/Division
Pediatrics
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
This study will directly investigate if screening for social determinants of health, specifically which domains, can predict a higher risk of anemia in pediatric patients in the outpatient setting. Our study is unique in that evidence does not exist that demonstrates that screening for SDOH can be used as a predictor for anemia for pediatric patients in an outpatient setting. Exploring the relationship between social determinants of health and anemia is crucial for promoting health equity, improving public health, and guiding policy and healthcare interventions. It recognizes that health outcomes are influenced by a complex interplay of factors, many of which go beyond individual biology and healthcare access.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
The presentation and medical course of PCOS in adolescents across the United States
Name:
Dr. Angelina Bernier
Email
angelina@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 265-7337
Faculty Department/Division
Pediatrics
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic familial disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and
anovulation. Depending on the diagnostic criteria, PCOS affects 6-15% of women. Despite presenting in
adolescence, specific criteria to diagnose PCOS in youth were only described within the last 8 years. Women and
teens with PCOS also typically experience metabolic co-morbidities including insulin resistance (IR), type 2
diabetes (T2D), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and higher rates of psychological disease. However
adolescent PCOS represents a very heterogenous group of patients with variable reproductive and metabolic
phenotypes. In preliminary studies, we have found distinct reproductive phenotype, including higher luteinizing
hormone (LH), androstenedione, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone levels. Additionally,
we and others have noted stark differences in metabolic phenotypes among PCOS patients reflecting underling
racial and ethnic differences. Specifically, we found that 70% of Hispanic youth with an elevated HbA1c and
alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at time of PCOS diagnosis had T2D within 4 years. These data suggest that
phenotyping of girls with PCOS will help with diagnosis, short-term treatment, and long-term surveillance for
metabolic disease. Through this study we will characterize a heterogenous adolescent PCOS cohort treated at UF and compare to 12 other academic and community centers across the US.
There are two main aims for this project. The first aim is to Describe the heterogeneous presentation and co-morbidities at the time of diagnosis of PCOS in a geographically, ethnically and racially diverse cohort of youth in the United States. The second aim is to determine the response to common management strategies.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No