A global pilot comparative, cross-sectional study of clinical research nurses/research midwives: Definition, knowledge base, and communication skills related to the conduct of decentralized clinical trials.

Background: A gap in the literature exists pertaining to a global research nurse/research midwife resources and communication skill set necessary to engage with participants of diverse populations and geographic regions in the community or home-based conduct of decentralized clinical trials.

Aims: An embedded mixed methods study was conducted to examine research nurse/research midwife knowledge base, experiences, and communication skill sets pertaining to decentralized trials across global regions engaged in remote research: the USA, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Methods: An online survey was deployed across international research nurse/research midwife stakeholder groups, collecting demographics, decentralized trial experience, barriers and facilitators to optimal trial conduct, and the self-perceived communication competence (SPCC) and interpersonal communication competence (IPCC) instruments.

Difference between body composition of formula- and breastfed infants at birth.

Breastfeeding may reduce obesity risk, but this association could be confounded by breastfeeding families' characteristics. We investigated if body composition differs at birth among infants who were either exclusively breast- or formula-fed. We hypothesized the two groups would differ in body composition, even at birth, prior to their post-natal feeding experience.

Infant formula feeding practices in a prospective population based study.

Background: It is recommended that formula-fed infants are given standard whey-based infant formula throughout the first year of life, unless otherwise advised by healthcare professionals. To our knowledge it has not yet been explored if parents are using a whey-based infant formula throughout the first 12 months of life. Reasons for parental choice of formula are also unknown.

Early life factors associated with the exclusivity and duration of breast feeding in an Irish birth cohort study.

Objective: to investigate the influence of parental and infant characteristics on exclusive breast feeding from birth to six months of age and breast feeding rates at two, six and 12 months of age in Ireland.

Methodology: secondary data analysis from the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study (http://www.baselinestudy.