Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Canada's children are falling behind. One in 3 are overweight or obese and more than 1 in 3 have factors that put them at risk for cardiovascular disease as adults. Children from low-income families are 70% more likely to be overweight or obese and two times less likely to be breastfed. Research across disciplines has shown that breastfeeding can help improve childhood obesity, development, and lifetime success. Optimizing early life nutrition to reduce inequalities in childhood obesity and its consequences is a promising approach. NuRISH is an innovative clinical trial for children from low-income families which will determine whether receiving support from a health care professional specializing in breastfeeding (lactation consultant), compared to usual care, can improve breastfeeding rates, reduce childhood obesity, and improve cardiovascular health at 2 years of age. We will use new cohort trial methods leveraging Canada's largest childhood cohort study (TARGet Kids!) which will minimize cost and maximize feasibility. Parents and healthcare providers are involved in all aspects of this research. NuRISH holds promise to level inequalities in early life nutrition which will help prevent the next generation of Canadian children from experiencing childhood obesity and its long term physical and mental health consequences.