Dr. Merilee (Meredith) Brockway, PhD RN IBCLC
Canada Research Chair for Early Life Exposures and Child Health Outcomes
UCalgary Nursing announces second Canada Research Chair
UCalgary Nursing assistant professor Dr. Merilee Brockway, BN'04, PhD'19 was recently announced as the second UCalgary Nursing CIHR Research Chair. Brockway, who focuses on infant feeding, specifically breast milk and donor human milk’s impact on health outcomes for vulnerable infants with adverse early life exposures, is the Canada Research Chair for Early Life Exposures and Child Health Outcomes.
Brockway’s research centres on the early months of a baby’s life when the establishment of their microbiome is key to the development of their neurological, immune, metabolic and endocrine systems. She is only one of a select few nurses in North America who is doing research on the microbiome.
“I'm examining the developing infant microbiome, looking particularly at early life exposures such as how babies are delivered, if it's vaginally or caesarean section, if they're exposed to antibiotics and how they're fed,” she says. “Those are three primary components of how their microbiome develops.”
Brockway’s ideal goal for the five-year research chair and beyond is that donor human milk becomes more mainstream and accessible to families who think they have fairly normal or low-risk deliveries. “We now know that early life exposures such as antibiotics and c-section deliveries can have adverse impacts on the developing infant gut microbiome. Exclusive human milk feeding may help to rectify these exposures.”
Dr. Brockway discusses research on donor human milk for infants
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Donor human milk as intervention to help infant microbiome
Babies in their first two years of life undergo so much development of their neurological, immune and endocrine systems, a healthy microbiome is key. Dr. Merilee Brockway, BN'04, PhD'19, an assistant professor with UCalgary Nursing, says that, if the infant gut microbiome is disrupted during that critical window of the first early months of life, this can set them up for diseases later on. That’s why she’s looking at ways to try and repair gut microbiomes in infants.
Making their mark: 2023 Canada Research Chairs unveiled
Meredith Brockway is an acclaimed clinician scientist who is spearheading transformative research for vulnerable infant populations. Her expertise spans preterm birth, infant feeding, and early-life exposures. Engaging clinicians, patients, and policy-makers, Brockway ensures meaningful outcomes with those she works with. In the DO-RE-MI trial, she investigates the impact of donor human milk on the infant microbiome following adverse early-life exposures. Brockway's unique blend of nursing expertise, microbiome training, and clinical trial experience enables the development of effective and feasible clinical interventions. Brockway incorporates an intersectional lens in her work, prioritizing EDI practices in her groundbreaking research.
Breastfeeding is recommended during pandemic
Breastfeeding sets babies up for good health across the lifespan. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing health-care providers to change the way they support breastfeeding mothers. While many supports have been reduced or eliminated, others have transitioned online where it may be easier for families to access them.
As researchers in the field of breastfeeding and human lactation, we are asking many questions about the safety of breast milk from mothers who are sick with COVID-19, the impact of COVID-19 on quality of care and breastfeeding support, and how the pandemic will affect breastfeeding rates.
Donated human milk could be antibiotic for infants: UCalgary
Research out of the University of Calgary (UCalgary) is aiming to find out if milk produced by humans could be used as an antibiotic for infants.
Dr. Merilee Brockway, assistant professor at the Nursing Faculty at UCalgary, says the Human Milk Banking Association Association of North America (HMBANA) provides donor human milk in Alberta and Canada, which is the standard practice for sick and preterm infants.
“So pretty much any baby born in Alberta will get that as part of their care when they’re in hospital — and most of Canada as well,” Dr. Brockway said. “So what I’m looking at is providing donor human milk to infants outside of the preterm context in the full term context who have experienced adverse exposures to their microbiome, usually in the birthing process.”