It’s no secret to most parents that breastfeeding is tough. But popular culture tends to present this critical activity as effortless and intuitive – setting some parents up for a surprise when they face barriers, including lack of time, support, and confidence, as well as physical limitations.
Dr. Jasmine DeJesus, an associate professor in psychology, recently experienced difficulties breastfeeding her first child. “I just have one experience with one kid, but it’s really opened my mind up: What are the bigger range of experiences?” she asks.
Now, DeJesus and Dr. Jigna Dharod, associate professor in nutrition, are leading a $784,369 NIH-funded trial to reduce some of the barriers Latine parents face when breastfeeding.
It’s a needed project with trickle-down impacts that can help address the high obesity rate among U.S. Latine children. Almost half of the adult U.S. Latino population is obese, and infant nutrition serves as the foundation for lifelong health.
Formula feeding is linked to rapid weight gain in infants, which is in turn linked to childhood obesity and to lifelong obesity, the researchers say.
In a 2023 study of low-income families, Dharod and DeJesus found infants fed only formula had three times higher risk for rapid weight gain.
“Infancy is a very important life stage. It’s a highly developmental phase, and it’s a phase of immense opportunities,” Dharod says. “At the same time, any vulnerabilities during this phase can have a lifelong impact.”
In their latest investigation, the researchers want to know whether peer counselors and financial compensation can help increase parents’ confidence in continuing with breastfeeding.
The duo bring decades of complementary, cross-disciplinary expertise to a topic they both found somewhat unexpectedly.
DeJesus’s love of food and fascination with culture led her to research on child-parent interactions and social learning with food. “My dad is Puerto Rican. My mom is Jewish, and I grew up here in the U.S.,” DeJesus says. “Even as a little kid, I knew that food and language were things that marked our family’s cultural background.”
Over 8,000 miles away from DeJesus, Dharod grew up in India and observed firsthand how access to food can lift people out of poverty. She decided to pursue research on food insecurity. During her doctoral studies, she became curious about maternal and child nutrition and health equity. “Breastfeeding ensures food security for the infant, especially for the first six months,” she says.
Latest UNCGNews Faculty Staff
- CVPA Names Distinguished Alumni“I said to my mom, ‘This is where I want to go to school.’” The College of Visual and Performing Arts’ new distinguished alumni reflect on the experiences and opportunities that set them up for success through life. The post CVPA Names Distinguished Alumni appeared first on UNC Greensboro.
- Lab Specialists Smooth Out the Learning Curve at UNCGUNCG would not be able to offer students prestigious academic success without the hard work of the lab specialists. They feel right at home updating and repairing microscopes or behind the controls of the newest nursing manikins. The post Lab Specialists Smooth Out the Learning Curve at UNCG appeared first on UNC Greensboro.
- Success on the Yellow Brick Road: Amendum Makes a ‘Wicked’ DebutAs Dominick Amendum ’01 raises UNCG’s musical theatre program to new heights, he’s also defying gravity as the production music supervisor of the blockbuster film adaptation of “Wicked.” The post Success on the Yellow Brick Road: Amendum Makes a ‘Wicked’ Debut appeared first on UNC Greensboro.
- UNCG Studies Better Biochar for Cleaner WaterUNCG Professor Jianjun Wei takes a closer look at a centuries-old technology known as biochar to help with cleaner water. The post UNCG Studies Better Biochar for Cleaner Water appeared first on UNC Greensboro.
- UNCG Trains to Help Prevent SuicidesRebecca Mathews is on a mission to prevent suicide by training community members to recognize the signs in their students, friends, and colleagues. The post UNCG Trains to Help Prevent Suicides appeared first on UNC Greensboro.
- Connection and wellbeing for student veteransAt UNCG, over 8%, or more than 1,500, of enrolled students are military-affiliated students, 500 of whom are veterans and servicemembers. Dr. Erin Reifsteck, associate professor of kinesiology and newly appointed Faculty Fellow for Student Veteran Wellbeing, has closely studied student veterans at UNCG and System-wide. The post Connection and wellbeing for student veterans appeared first on UNC Greensboro.