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Increasing Donor human milk Engagement and Access (IDEA) for Preterm Infants Study

Award Number: R01NR022260
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/13/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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Increasing Donor human milk Engagement and Access (IDEA) for Preterm Infants Study - ABSTRACT Preterm birth affects 10% of infants born annually in the United States and is a critical public health concern linked to significant morbidity, mortality, and economic costs. Human milk is a life-saving intervention for preterm, low birth weight (LBW), and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, reducing risks of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, and other morbidities. Despite widespread evidence of the importance of maintaining a human milk diet for preterm infants, gaps in lactation support and access to pasteurized donor human milk persist and disproportionately impact under-resourced families. Human milk’s unique benefits include enhanced growth, neurocognitive development, and immune function. Yet, many families with infants in neonatal intensive care units (hereafter, NICU families) face significant challenges accessing lactation support and pasteurized donor human milk. There is a critical need to improve family-centered delivery of neonatal nutrition and care in NICU settings. The overall goal of this study is to improve access to life-saving neonatal nutrition and care by 1) developing innovative, evidence-based, community-driven interventions to meet the human milk needs of infants in the NICU; and 2) identifying tools to support best practices for improving lactation support and donor milk access for NICU families. Using an explanatory sequential, mixed methods community approach informed by the family life course development theory and critical ethnography, we will identify factors that influence human milk utilization, increase access to donor milk, and develop strategies to enhance lactation support for NICU families in the United States. The aims of this study include: 1) Explore NICU families' experiences and decision-making regarding lactation and donor milk utilization; 2) Examine NICU and donor milk bank staff experiences of providing lactation support and donor milk education to NICU families; and 3) Collaborate with key partners to co-design and develop novel, community-responsive lactation support and donor milk intervention(s) for NICU families. Our pragmatic design will enhance evidence-based, community-informed, life-saving neonatal nutrition and care interventions. This work aligns with national health priorities and NINR’s research lenses – social determinants of health, population and community health, prevention and health promotion, and systems and models of care. At the conclusion of this project, we expect to have new and innovative human milk feeding interventions for NICU settings and identified best practices to better support NICU families.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $856,016 )
2026	2026	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94103	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Nursing Research	000	1	8/14/2026	NEW	$856,016
														Subtotal = $856,016

Grand Total All Awards = $856,016

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Increasing Donor human milk Engagement and Access (IDEA) for Preterm Infants Study

Award Number: R01NR022260

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/13/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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