Structure and Teams
MICROBIOTA THEME 1
Purpose: to characterize microbiota profiles from fecal samples of CHILD study infants at birth, 3 months and 1 year of age, in order to describe the development of the gut microbiome during infancy in a large cohort of Canadian full-term infants
Team members: James Scott, Tedd Konya, David Guttman, Sylva Donaldson (University of Toronto); Dean Befus (University of Alberta)
MICROBIOTA THEME 2
Purpose: to determine perinatal factors such as birth method, infant feeding type and antibiotic exposure, which shape infant gut microbiota at birth, age 3 months and 1 year, and its development over time
Publication: Azad MB, Konya T, Maughan H, Guttman DS, Field CJ, Chari RS, Sears MR, Becker AB, Scott JA, and Kozyrskyj AL and the CHILD Study Investigators. Gut microbiota in Canadian infants: profiles by mode of delivery and infant diet at 4 months. Canadian Medical Association Journal 2013.185(5):385-94.
Featured on the cover, accompanied by a Clinical Editorial, and widely reported by mainstream media (66 stories reaching 3.9 million people; eg. CBC, Globe & Mail, New York Times, CNN, Time Magazine, Parenting.com).
Team members: Anita Kozyrskyj, Catherine Field, Radha Chari, Meghan Azad, Sarah Bridgman (University of Alberta)
MICROBIOTA THEME 3
Purpose: to determine whether exposure-induced changes in gut microbiota due to infant antibiotic exposure, for example, are associated with:
infant gut mucosal immunity (secretory IgA) and
atopic disease (food allergy, atopic sensitization and dermatitis, recurrent wheeze) at 1 year of age
Publication: Azad MB, Konya T, Guttman DS, Field CJ, Sears MR, HayGlass KT, Mandhane PJ, Turvey SE, Subbarao P, Becker AB, Scott JA, Kozyrskyj AL, and the CHILD Study Investigators. Association of infant gut microbiota diversity and composition with food sensitization. (Submitted)
Team members: Piush Mandhane, Allan Becker, Kent HayGlass, Stuart Turvey (Universities of Alberta & Manitoba, UBC)
ETHICS THEME 4
Purpose: to determine maternal knowledge and perceptions on probiotic supplements and other factors which influence infant gut microbiota development
Publication: Bridgman SL, Azad MB, Field CJ, Letourneau N, Johnston DW, Kaplan BJ, Kozyrskyj AL. Maternal perspectives on the use of probiotics in infants. (Submitted)
Team members: Sarah Bridgman, Maternal survey on probiotic product knowledge
Conceptual Framework
