Victoria Bertacchi

I am a biological anthropologist with a focus on reproductive ecology. My research interests are in maternal-infant interactions and health, with a particular emphasis on breastfeeding practices and human milk composition. My dissertation topic examines the impact of maternal weight status on metabolic hormone transfer to infants through breastfeeding and implications for infant growth and satiety development in Samoa.

Academic Publications

Harries, V., Abraham, J., Vesi, L., Reupena, A., Faaselele-Savusa, K., Duckham, R.L., Bribiescas, R.G., and Hawley, N.L. (In Press). The Milk Study Protocol: A longitudinal, prospective cohort study of the relationship between human milk metabolic hormone concentration, maternal body composition, and early growth and satiety development in Samoan infants aged 1-4 months. PLOS One.

Harries, V., Corley, M., and Bribiescas, R.G. (2023). The impact of thawing duration on leptin and adiponectin levels in frozen human milk samples. American Journal of Human Biology: e23971

Daiy, K., Harries, V., Nyhan, K., and Marcinkowska, U.M. (2022). Maternal weight status and the composition of the human milk microbiome: A scoping review. PLoS ONE 17(10): e0274950.

Harries, V., and Bribiescas, R. (2021). Leptin is not associated with testosterone, estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone, or luteinizing hormone in healthy Ache men of Paraguay: A multiple daily assessment. American Journal of Human Biology: e232638.

Arslanian, K., Harries, V., Fidow, U., Atanoa, T., Naseri, T., McGarvey, S., and Hawley, N. (2021). “No, I won’t allow formula in my house”: A cross-sectional qualitative study of breastfeeding culture in Samoa. Pacific Journal of Reproductive Health, 1(13): DOI:10.18313/pjrh.2021.005

Chaney, C., Begum, K., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Sievert, L., Muttukrishna, S., Harries, V., Sharmeen, T., Murphy, L., Gunu, R., Chowdhury, O., and Bentley, G. (2021). No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh. American Journal of Human Biology: e232638: DOI:10.1002/ajhb.23631.

Harries, V., and Brown, A. (2019). The Association Between Baby Care Books That Promote Strict Care Routine and Infant Feeding, Night-Time Care, and Maternal-Infant Interactions. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 15(4):e12858.

Harries, V., and Brown, A. (2017). The Association Between Use of Infant Parenting Books That Promote Strict Routines, and Maternal Depression, Self-Efficacy, and Parenting Confidence. Early Child Development and Care, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2017.1378650.

Brown, A., and Harries, V. (2015). Infant Sleep and Night Feeding Patterns During Later Infancy: Association with Breastfeeding Frequency, Daytime Complementary Food Intake, and Infant Weight. Breastfeeding Medicine, 10(5), 246-252.