Cutting back artificial sweeteners during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Official title: Effects of a non-nutritive sweetener reduction intervention in pregnancy and lactation on maternal and infant outcomes (the SWEETPEA trial)
Funded at George Washington University · NIH-11284099 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether pregnant and breastfeeding people who reduce non-nutritive (artificial) sweeteners have healthier blood sugar, body composition, and gut microbiomes for themselves and their infants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | George Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $662,577 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD107427-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284099 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people (age 21 or older) who regularly consume non-nutritive sweeteners and plan to breastfeed.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, under 21, do not consume non-nutritive sweeteners, are unwilling to change their diet, or cannot attend in-person visits are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to a program that helps you reduce intake of non-nutritive sweeteners or to usual care. The program includes dietary counseling, tracking of sweetener intake, and support during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding. Researchers will collect blood samples, measure body composition for you and your baby, and collect stool samples to study the gut microbiome. Study visits take place at George Washington University and will follow you through pregnancy and into the early months after birth.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could show that lowering artificial sweetener use in pregnancy and lactation improves mothers' metabolic health and lowers infants' risk of excess fat and related metabolic problems.
How similar studies have gone: Animal experiments and small human observational and pilot studies suggest potential harms from prenatal sweetener exposure, but large randomized trials like this one are novel and needed to confirm effects.
Where this research is happening
-
George Washington University
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barberio, Matthew — George Washington University
- Study coordinator: Barberio, Matthew
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Iodized salt and early brain development in babies of pregnant and breastfeeding women in rural Ethiopia
This grant tests whether giving iodized salt to pregnant and breastfeeding women helps their babies’ brain development.
-
IMPILO: New 6-month RR-TB regimen in pregnant and breastfeeding women
A study in pregnant and postpartum women with rifampicin-resistant TB will track how well a new all-oral 6-month treatment works and how well people stick to it.
-
Effects of iodized salt during pregnancy and breastfeeding on infant brain development in rural Ethiopia
Pregnant and breastfeeding people in rural Ethiopia will receive iodized salt to see how it affects their baby’s brain development.
-
Iodized salt for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to support babies' brain development in rural Ethiopia
This project gives iodized salt to pregnant and breastfeeding women in rural Ethiopia to see if it helps their babies' early brain, attention, and motor development.
-
Effects of restricting non-nutritive sweeteners during pregnancy on infant growth
A study will test whether limiting non-nutritive sweeteners in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers affects how babies eat, grow, and develop in the first two years.
-
Iodized salt in pregnancy and breastfeeding and infant brain development
Pregnant and breastfeeding women in rural Ethiopia receive iodized salt to help support their babies' early brain, motor, and language development.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.