The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will conduct BRIGHT, a pilot study to build an evidence-based approach to diagnosing and treating breast inflammation symptoms.
Washington, DC – The VIDA Maternal and Infant Health Alliance, a fiscally-sponsored project of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, has awarded its first research grant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The grant will fund BRIGHT (Breast Inflammation Guidance for Healing & Treatment), a pilot study that will explore methods to diagnose and treat lactational mastitis in breastfeeding women. The study is led by Dr. Alison Stuebe, Distinguished Professor of Infant and Young Child Feeding at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Mastitis affects up to one-third of lactating parents, yet its management relies largely on expert opinion rather than high-quality clinical evidence. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed, even though growing evidence suggests many cases of breast pain, redness and swelling are inflammatory rather than infectious, exposing mothers and infants to unnecessary risks. At the same time, delayed treatment of bacterial mastitis can lead to serious complications such as breast abscess or sepsis.
Over the 12-month study, BRIGHT will develop the foundation for a data-driven approach to diagnosing and managing inflammatory breast symptoms. In partnership with community clinicians, a veterinarian who specializes in dairy animals, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), the UNC team will enroll 20 lactating patients with mastitis. Over each patient's care, the team will provide in-person lactation support and collect longitudinal clinical data, including imaging, thermography and milk biomarkers. Patients will start out with conservative at-home treatments per the 2022 Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine's Mastitis Protocol, with close follow-up for antibiotics if needed. The goal is to be able to inform a future multisite, comprehensive study to provide conclusive data on treatment plans and effective diagnostic markers.
"When we launched VIDA earlier this year, we chose mastitis as our first focus because it sits at the intersection of common, preventable and understudied conditions in maternal and infant health," said Adrianna Smith Reig, Founder and Executive Director of the VIDA Alliance. "Dr. Stuebe and her team are asking the questions every mother with breast pain deserves answers to: can we help determine whether this is inflammation or infection, and which treatment will actually help? We are proud that our first grant will help build the evidence towards better care."
“We are thrilled to partner with VIDA on this work,” said Dr. Stuebe. “The BRIGHT study will lay the groundwork for evidence-based, tailored care for lactating women with breast inflammation.”
“Women's health research has been underfunded for far too long,” said Gabriela Smith, Founder and Executive Chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation. “Maternal and infant health are foundational to healthy families and thriving communities. We are proud to support the VIDA Alliance as it makes its first investment in research that can improve the lives of mothers and infants across the nation.”
The VIDA Alliance plans to build on this first grant by funding additional research on common, preventable postpartum conditions affecting women during pregnancy and postpartum. To learn more, visit www.vidaalliance.org.
Established in 2015, the Crimsonbridge Foundation is an entrepreneurial philanthropic partner committed to going beyond grantmaking to collaborate with community partners in Education, Leadership, Environmental Sustainability, and Catholic Initiatives, and now maternal and infant health through VIDA, to create transformative solutions that improve the lives of our nation's youth and families.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact office@crimsonbridge.org.