My name is Matthew Jenkins and I am a graduate student in the
Packaging Science Masters Program at Rochester Institute of Technology.

I have received approval for a thesis project focusing on the
relationship between breast milk and the storage containers used to
store milk in for the refrigerator/freezer for later feedings. I have
received bottles and bags from Medela, Ameda, Snappies, Axifeed, and
Ball Glass.

The purpose of my study is to help increase awareness of how storage
containers can affect a protein called Immunoglobuin A (IgA), which is
important for the baby's immune system because the baby gets
protection from illnesses, diseases, or colds from mothers in the
first few months.
When you pump milk into a storage container, IgA may stick to the
surface of the bottle and if that happens, infants do not fully
receive the same amount of IgA, as the baby would have directly from
your breasts. This is very critical for infants in NICUs who need full
protection from their mothers.

I need your help because I need breast milk collections for my project
and I am looking for women who are 4 to 30 weeks post-delivery. I ask
for approximately 60 mL (2 oz) of your milk, which you may divide to
two smaller different collections if the amount is too much for one
collection.

I have Snappies bottles ready to for you to use for the collection and
I will drive anywhere you prefer to meet to give you the Snappies
bottle and wait in another room while you pump the milk privately.
Subjects must provide their own pump or may pump manually.

When you want to provide milk, I must be there to collect the milk
because I need fresh milk for my experiment. So please MAKE SURE that
you have previously stored milk for later feedings so your baby will
not miss a feeding. This is very important.

If you want to participate in this study, please email me at
mdj7463@... or call me at (413) 250-3553.


Thank you,
Matthew Jenkins
Packaging Science Graduate