Research Methods:
Study 1 - BECS: a prospective cohort study
This study aims to identify early markers of breast cancer in women who are breastfeeding. By giving samples of milk and blood, and completing a risk marker questionnaire, women will join a cohort who will then be followed up over their lifetime. We hope to identify new ways to detect a woman at high risk of breast cancer from changes in their milk. These include changes in the epigenetic signatures of breast epithelial cells, the cells that line milk ducts.
Study 2 - Understanding SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human milk
The aim of this study is to understand how milk changes as part of this study, we have already recruited 30 women across London and Hertfordshire (commenced 2020)
Study 3- Understanding how milk changes over a natural course of lactation
The aim of this study is to identify how human milk changes of a full term of lactation, of at least 2 years. Mothers who plan to feed for this length of time who are joining BECS will have the opportunity to express samples every 6 weeks until their baby is at least 2 years old (commencing in 2021).