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Response to messaging and methodological considerations when researching breastfeeding and obesity

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 75, pages 1526–1527 (2021)Cite this article

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We thank the Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Center group for their thorough analysis and comment on our research [1]. As we understand it, Reyes et al. [2] raise concerns regarding (i) the methodologic limitations of our research and (ii) the messaging around breast milk of mothers with obesity.

In response to the methodologic limitations, we have fully acknowledged in our discussion the limitations raised by Reyes et al. We have proposed that our findings, along with the similar findings of Fields et al., Isganaitis et al., and Sims et al. [3,4,5,6], lay the groundwork for future prospective studies designed to investigate this association in women with overweight and obesity, taking into account important variables such as diet, activity, and detailed sociodemographic factors, or randomized controlled trials, to further limit confounding.

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References

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Funding

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 5R01HD043921, NIH RR01070, NIH P30 DK040561, NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences UL1 TR000062.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Samantha Enstad

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada

    Sukhinder Cheema

  3. School of Science and the Environment/Boreal Ecosystem Research Initiative, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brooke, NL, Canada

    Raymond Thomas

  4. Laboratory of Genital Tract Biology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Raina Fichorova

  5. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Raina Fichorova, Camilia R. Martin & Sarbattama Sen

  6. Department of Neonatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Camilia R. Martin

  7. Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn

  8. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Carol L. Wagner

  9. Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Sarbattama Sen

Authors
  1. Samantha Enstad
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  2. Sukhinder Cheema
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  3. Raymond Thomas
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  4. Raina Fichorova
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  5. Camilia R. Martin
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  6. Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn
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  7. Carol L. Wagner
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  8. Sarbattama Sen
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Correspondence to Samantha Enstad.

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Enstad, S., Cheema, S., Thomas, R. et al. Response to messaging and methodological considerations when researching breastfeeding and obesity. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 1526–1527 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00900-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00900-x

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