- Synergistic Theory Research Obesity and Nutrition Group (STRONG) Kids 2 birth cohort study
- Using a cells-to-society approach to nutrition, this trans-disciplinary project is providing unique insights into how individual biology interacts with the family environment to promote healthy eating habits in young children. It is one of the first studies to take a longitudinal look at the habits, including milk and dairy consumption, from birth. the relationship among genetic, child, and family factors in predicting BMI and dietary habits The study sample includes 468 infants and their families located in small urban communities in central Illinois.
- Biological samples (saliva, stool, and human milk), height and weight measurements from infants and toddlers are collected at 6 weeks, 3, 12, 18 months and, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years.
- Mothers are surveyed about weaning, dietary habits, household routines, children’s emotions, feeding styles, and milk and dairy consumption. Additional measures such as maternal height and weight are also being collected.
- For more information see: http://www.familyresiliency.illinois.edu/research/strong-kids-2-cells-society-approach-nutrition
- Funding Sources
- The National Dairy Council
- NIH Grant DK107561
- USDA AFRI Hatch Research Funds Hatch ILLU 793-330
- General Mills Bell Nutrition Institute
- The Gerber Foundation
- Doris Kelley Christopher Foundation
- Vision 20/20 funding from the Division of Nutritional Sciences
- STRONG KIDS 2 SUB-PROJECTS
- 1. Factors Influencing Microbiome Development and Host-microbe Interactions Affected Infant and Child Outcomes
- Stool samples are collected from the mother at 6 weeks postpartum and at all timepoints from infants are being analyzed for microbiome (16S rRNA sequencing), metagenome (whole genome sequencing) and metabolome composition.
- 2. Factors Influencing Human Milk Oligosaccharide Patterns and Associations with Infant and Child Outcomes
- Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS) are indigestible carbohydrates that support infant development by establishing a healthy microbiota, preventing infectious diseases, and promoting immune and cognitive development. HMO profiles can vary largely among mothers. In collaboration with Dr. Carlito Lebrilla at the University of California Davis, the Donovan laboratory has characterized the relative abundance of HMO in the human milk and future studies will associate HMO patterns with infant and child outcomes.
- 3. Development of Dietary Patterns and Relationship to Growth and Neurocognitive Outcomes
- Dietary intake is being assess through food frequency questionnaires, home food inventories and 24-hour recalls. Dietary and nutrient intakes are measured, dietary patterns determined and diet quality assessed by comparison to recommended intakes and healthy eating indices. These outcomes are being associated with various health outcomes, including executive function and weight outcomes.
- Influencing Microbial Development in Early Life
- Humans and their commensal microbiota coexist in a complex ecosystem molded by evolutionary and ecological factors. Establishing a healthy microbiota in early life is required for immunological programming and prevention of both short-term and long-term health outcomes. Key perinatal elements are route of delivery, diet and the environment in which that infant resides. Vaginal delivery seeds an initial microbiome, and breastfeeding refines the community by providing additional microbes, human milk oligosaccharides and immunological proteins. Introduction of complementary foods and food patterns in early childhood continue to shape microbial structure and function. The Donovan laboratory is conducting research to define the individual and combined effects of early life exposures on short- and long-term outcomes.
- Factors Influencing Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration
- Human milk is the best source of nutrition for most infants and breastfeeding exerts many health benefits for the infant. The benefit of breastfeeding is affected by exclusivity and duration, however, most mothers in the U.S. breastfeed for a shorter duration than recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To increase breastfeeding, information and support are needed from multiple sources. Given differences in breastfeeding rates by demographic characteristics, sources of information and support may also differ. Research in the Donovan laboratory investigates multiple factors that influence efficacy of breastfeeding.
- Factors Influencing Child Feeding Behaviors and Picky Eating.
- Children’s food preferences are formed early in life and can have effects on child growth, development and long term dietary patterns. Preferences are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Picky eating behaviors are common in early childhood, but persistent picky eating is associated with unhealthy development and caregiver-child stress during feeding. The Donovan laboratory collaborates with Dr. Soo-Yeun Lee (FSHN) and Kelly Bost (Human Development and Family Studies) to identify modifiable feeding and parent-child relationship factors that impact, with the goal of developing interventions to decreasing risks associated with picky eating.
- Microbiome Composition and Function in Preterm Infants
- Preterm infants harbor a different gut microbiome than full-term infants. Multiple factors affect gut microbial colonization of PT infants, including low gestational age, high rates of Cesarean section, exposure to antibiotics, and diet. Human milk, whether it is the infant’s mother’s own milk or donor human milk, is the preferred feeding mode for preterm infants but needs to be fortified to achieve adequate nutrient content. Infant formulas are introduced at later stages if human milk is insufficient or unavailable. How these dietary exposures affect the gut microbiome of PT infants is poorly understood. Dr. Donovan collaborates with neonatalogists to study how genetics, environmental and dietary factors — human milk, infant formula and human milk fortifiers – influence the development and function of the gut microbiota of the preterm infant
- Funding Sources
- Carle-Illinois Seed Grant
- Exfoliated Epithelial Cells
- The gut microbiota and the host exist in a mutualistic relationship, with the functional composition of the microbiota strongly influencing the health and well-being of the host. However, mechanistic examination into host-microbe relationships in healthy infants has been hindered by ethical constraints surrounding tissue biopsies. Thus, a statistically rigorous analytical framework to simultaneously examine both host and microbial responses to dietary/environmental factors using exfoliated intestinal epithelial cells was developed in collaboration with Drs. Robert Chapkin, Laurie Davidson and Ivan Ivanov at Texas A&M University. We are applying this approach to assess the complex cross-talk between environment (diet), microbiome, and host intestinal physiology in infants using data-driven integrative approaches to identify potential biomarkers of both host genes and microbial communities that characterize these interactions.
- Funding Sources
- NIH Grant DK107561
- Screening for Safety and Efficacy of Bioactive Ingredients in the Preclinical Piglet Model
- The pig is a widely accepted preclinical model due to more shared similarities in gut anatomy and physiology to the human infant than do rodent models. Thus, the piglet is a common model utilized to support substantiation of novel bioactive components in infant formula. Research in the Donovan laboratory tests the safety and efficacy of bioactive milk components, such as milk-fat globule membrane, human milk oligosaccharides and lactoferrin. In addition potential additives to inant formula, including prebiotics and probiotics are screened for their effects on intestinal and immune development and microbiome composition. The Donovan laboratory collaborates with Dr. Ryan Dilger (Animal Sciences) to test effects on neurocognitive development and the gut-brain-microbiome axis.