Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Laura Caulfield, PhD, researches nutrition problems affecting maternal, infant, and child health in the United States and globally.
Contact Info
615 North Wolfe Street, Room E2537
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US
410-955-0196
Research Interests
international health; nutrition, pregnancy; maternal perinatal, neonatal and child health; nutritional epidemiology; child feeding; child growth and development; program evaluation; early origins of adult disease
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
Cornell University
1989
Overview
My research interests are in the area of maternal and infant nutrition and health.
Specific interests include:
1. epidemiology of poor pregnancy outcomes (e.g., miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm delivery, complications of labor and delivery), especially the role of maternal and fetal nutritional status in influencing parturition; 2. identification and evaluation of indicators of high-risk mothers and newborns; 3. short- and long-term consequences of poor prenatal and postnatal growth and development; breastfeeding and complementary feeding; 4. evaluation of nutrition interventions; 5. nutrition and health surveillance/information systems.
Specific interests include:
1. epidemiology of poor pregnancy outcomes (e.g., miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm delivery, complications of labor and delivery), especially the role of maternal and fetal nutritional status in influencing parturition; 2. identification and evaluation of indicators of high-risk mothers and newborns; 3. short- and long-term consequences of poor prenatal and postnatal growth and development; breastfeeding and complementary feeding; 4. evaluation of nutrition interventions; 5. nutrition and health surveillance/information systems.
Honors & Awards
2000 The Avanelle Kirksey Lectureship, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. 1993 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. 1987 Doctoral Traineeship, Cornell University - NIH Maternal and Child Nutrition Training Grant, Ithaca, NY. 1986 National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. 1985 Cornell University Latin American Studies Summer Fellowship Program for Pre-Doctoral Research at Centro Rosarino de Estudios Perinatales, Rosario, Argentina. 1984 Cornell University Center for International Studies Travel Grant. Cornell University Division of Nutritional Sciences Small Grant (2 awards). 1983 Grace Steininger Fellowship, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. 1982 General Mills Fellowship, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Select Publications
These are 5 papers that I care about.
- Merialdi M, Caulfield LE, Zavaleta N, Figueroa A, Dominici F, DiPietro JA. Randomized controlled trial of prenatal zinc supplementation and the development of fetal heart rate patterns. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;190:1106-12. PMID:15118650.
- Caulfield LE, Zavaleta N, Chen P, Putnick D, DiPietro JA, Bornstein M. Maternal zinc supplementation during pregnancy affects autonomic function in Peruvian children at 4 ½ years of age. J Nutr 2011; 141(2):327-32. PMID:21178078.
- Patil CL, Turab A, Ambikapathi R*, Nesamvuni C, Chandyo RK, Bose A, Paredes Olortegui M, Lima de Moraes M, Islam M, Caulfield LE, on behalf of the MAL-ED Network. Early interruption of exclusive breastfeeding: results from the 8-country Mal-ED study. J Health Pop Nutr 2015 34:10 DOI 10.1186/s41043-015-0004-2.
- Sacco LM, Caulfield LE, Gittelsohn JG, Martinez Salgado H. The conceptualization of Perceived Insufficient Milk among Mexican mothers. J Hum Lact 2006; Aug;22(3):277-86. PMID:16885488.
- DiPietro JA, Millet S, Costigan KA, Gurewitsch E, Caulfield LE. Psychosocial influences on weight gain attitudes and behaviors during pregnancy. JADA 2003;103: 1314-1319. PMID:14520249.
Projects
Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development
JHU LEAH Program
Impact of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in Maryland on Selected WIC Agency Breastfeeding Rates and Maternal Experiences of Breastfeeding
Participant Research Innovation Laboratory (PRIL) for Enhancing Customer Service in WIC Services
ROSHNI (Rights for Sanitation, Health, and Nutrition Initiative): a large scale nutrition-WASH programme in India