Scientists test whether calmer mothers make better milk
NCT ID NCT04821544
First seen Sep 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026
Summary
Researchers at the University of Idaho are studying whether an 8-week mindfulness program focused on self-compassion or 8 weeks of vitamin D supplements can reduce stress in mothers of preterm infants. The trial enrolls 500 mothers and measures stress hormones, self-compassion, and the protein makeup of their breast milk. The goal is to see whether lowering maternal stress changes milk composition in ways that could improve infant health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Mindfulness-based self-compassion training and vitamin D supplementation
- What this could lead to
- If the approach works, it could offer mothers of preterm infants a low-risk way to lower stress and improve the milk they feed their babies.
- What could go wrong
- The study measures stress hormones and milk proteins, not infant health outcomes directly, so any benefit to babies remains unproven. Mindfulness and vitamin D may not change milk composition enough to matter.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 500 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2021
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 50 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Mothers of newborn infants at Kootenai Health NICU and the Palouse region Exclusion Criteria: \-
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Kootenai Health
RECRUITINGCoeur d'Alene, Idaho, 83814, United States
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- A single day of online therapy could curb postpartum depression