Study of Intestinal Microbiota Development in Healthy Infants and Mothers in Bern Tracking Microbiota Changes and Their Effects up to 10 Years of Age

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how the intestinal microbiota develops in healthy infants during their first two years of life and beyond. This study focuses on understanding the composition, diversity, and metabolic activity of gut bacteria in infants, as well as how factors like maternal microbiota and the environment affect this development. The goal is to learn how the maturation of the microbiota influences infant growth, immune system development, and potential health issues such as abdominal pain. The study will follow 250 pregnant women and their babies from the 20th week of pregnancy until the children reach 10 years old. Researchers will collect and analyze various biological samples, including infant stool, maternal milk, vaginal and skin swabs, to study bacterial species and their metabolic functions using advanced sequencing and mass spectrometry techniques. The study will also assess infant nutrition, hygiene, socioeconomic factors, and clinical outcomes at regular visits. Participants will be monitored through clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and biological sample collection at multiple time points from birth up to 10 years. The primary outcomes focus on changes in the complexity and activity of the infant gut microbiota at specific intervals after birth. Secondary outcomes include assessing environmental impacts, maternal bacterial transfer, and effects on child development. Any important health findings will be shared with participants and their doctors, and participants can opt out of human DNA analysis without affecting their involvement.

Bern Birth Cohort / Trajectory of Microbiota Maturation in Healthy Bern Infants - a Network Approach