# The Impact of Telelactation Services on Breastfeeding Outcomes among Minority Mothers: Siteless Tele-MILC Trial

> **NIH NIH R01** · RAND CORPORATION · 2022 · $168,048

## Abstract

Project Summary
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants, and breastfeeding offers numerous medical advantages
for parents and infants. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has erected new barriers to breastfeeding,
undermining important gains in breastfeeding initiation and duration that the U.S. has achieved in recent
years. Key barriers include reduced breastfeeding support services and social support, and increased stress and
postpartum depression, which can lead to early breastfeeding cessation. Further, pregnant and breastfeeding
parents, who are at heightened risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, now face complex decisions
regarding COVID-19 vaccination given vague clinical recommendations for these populations. This study
leverages an existing siteless randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of telehealth for breastfeeding
support (telelactation) among minority parents and will field a new cross-sectional survey to 1500 additional
parents to collect data about the impact of COVID-19 on breastfeeding support, including use of telelactation,
and vaccination. As part of the already funded clinical trial, 1200-1500 parents, including approximately 900
minority parents, will be recruited using the Ovia pregnancy app to participate in a trial evaluating telelactation
services. This longitudinal study, which recruits participants starting in May 2021, coupled with a cross-
sectional survey that will collect comparable data on the experiences of 1500 postpartum parents prior to and
in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, offers an unparalleled opportunity to assess how the pandemic
has impacted breastfeeding support, including use of telelactation, and how attitudes about the COVID-19
vaccine change over time as the vaccine supply grows and clinical recommendations become more directive.
The project aims to 1) assess how the pandemic has impacted the provision of professional breastfeeding
services and lay support and how changes have influenced breastfeeding experiences; and 2) track changes in
attitudes about COVID-19 vaccine, willingness to be vaccinated, and timing and receipt of vaccination as the
pandemic progresses. This study will provide important information on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
on breastfeeding experiences and track vaccine attitudes in a high-risk population that is typically excluded
from clinical vaccine trials. With a cross-sectional survey to establish baseline trends and ongoing data
collection through a longitudinal study, we can explore how key breastfeeding facilitators change over time and
how diverse populations of parents are making decisions about vaccination. This information will help inform
public health strategies and clinical practice to support new parents and to reduce disparities in breastfeeding
duration and vaccination rates.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10669484
- **Project number:** 3R01NR018837-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** RAND CORPORATION
- **Principal Investigator:** Lori Uscher-Pines
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $168,048
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10669484

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10669484, The Impact of Telelactation Services on Breastfeeding Outcomes among Minority Mothers: Siteless Tele-MILC Trial (3R01NR018837-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10669484. Licensed CC0.

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