Lactation as a window of opportunity for reversing cardiometabolic programming

Chief Investigator:

Associate Professor Beverly Muhlhausler

Research Area:

Reducing childhood obesity and its impact
Basic Science

Funding Amount:

$ 75,000

Recipient:

The University of Adelaide

Overview:

Being exposed to maternal high-fat and high-sugar diets before birth and in early infancy is a major risk factor for obesity and metabolic diseases in later life, however recent studies suggest that nutrition during lactation may be the more important driver. This study will be the first to test if switching mothers from a high-fat and high-sugar diet to a nutritionally balanced diet after birth can reverse the adverse effects of a poor quality diet during pregnancy on the offspring, and to determine how different maternal diets affect the nutritional and hormonal profile of their milk.