Mother-infant Microbiota Transmission and Its Link to the Health of the Baby

Chinese University of Hong Kong20,000 enrolled

Overview

The human intestinal tract harbors a diverse and complex microbial community, known as gut microbiota, which is critical in sustaining physiology, metabolism, nutrition and immune function. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been linked with obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory diseases. Gut microbiota is affected by host genetic markup, diet and life style; and therefore varied by human races and geographical locations. The development of gut microbiota starts before birth. The infant's microbiome can impact on human health in later life. The microbiome of pregnant women are associated with early-life microbiota of their offspring as well as growth, neurodevelopment and the development of allergic and neurocognitive disorders. Early childhood, when the microbiota is less mature and more malleable, is a golden age for microbiota manipulation to prevent disease. Studying microbiota at this golden age also allow us to dissect the development of a faulty microbiota and identify therapeutic targets to reverse it and cure diseases that are already developed.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

20,000

Conditions

Gut Microbiome Mother to Child Transmission

Eligibility

Sex: ALLHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Pregnant women Inclusion Criteria: 1. Being pregnant 2. Plan to give birth in local hospital 3. Competent to provide informed consent (no mental illness or dementia, etc. that will hinder their ability to undertake informed consent) 4. Plan to stay in the same local area for at least 7 years post-delivery Exclusion Criteria: No New Born Baby Inclusion Criteria 1. Be a new born baby of an enrolled pregnant woman 2. One of the parents or legal guardian is competent to provide informed consent (no mental illness or dementia, etc. that will hinder their ability to undertake informed consent) Exclusion Criteria: No Father of new born baby Inclusion Criteria 1. Biological father of an enrolled new born baby 2. Competent to provide informed consent (no mental illness or dementia, etc. that will hinder their ability to undertake informed consent) Exclusion Criteria: No

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Develop a 100,000 pair of mother-baby longitudinal cohort

Set up a large scale database to collect data such as comprehensive clinical data, such as mother's and father's demographic and clinical information (e.g. age, weight, gender, family medical history, dietary, drug usage etc.)

Time frame: 8 year

Secondary Outcomes

Dissect the important microbiome that maintain health

Study samples will be collected to characterize which microbiota will be transmitted from mother to baby by performing metagenomics of gut microbiome in stool and other samples

Time frame: 8 year

Seize the golden period of early life for prevention of human diseases

Study samples will be collected to characterize which microbiota induces disease by performing metagenomics of gut microbiome in stool and other samples and develop treatment with microbiota.

Time frame: 8 year

Mother-infant Microbiota Transmission and Its Link to the Health of the Baby

Overview

Conditions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

Central Contacts