Institute for Biology, Engineering and Medicine (I-BEAM)
Tags Mechanobiology and Biomechanics

The fluid mechanics of breastfeeding

Research Projects

Breast milk is the ideal nutrition for infants. However, challenges like pain and low milk flow often prevent women from
breastfeeding for the recommended six months. Our long-term goal is to inform clinical techniques to alleviate
common issues impeding breastfeeding, support efforts to reduce reliance on formula, and improve maternal-infant health. The research team is led by Dr. Martinez Wilhelmus. 

The duration of exclusive breastfeeding is often hindered by physical challenges such as pain, clogged ducts, and low milk flow. Despite efforts from educational programs and health care benefits, barriers persist, leading to only 17% of infants being exclusively breastfed for the recommended six months. While clinical research has provided insights into breast milk properties and biomechanics to alleviate these challenges, understanding the underlying fluid mechanics of breastfeeding remains limited. We initially proposed an integrative study that included experimental and numerical techniques to address this gap. By collecting and analyzing breastmilk samples consistently since the infant’s birth, we sought to measure a dozen relevant rheological and fluid properties to inform 3D models and conduct controlled experiments using milk simulants.

Investigators