Household chemical exposure and infant immune health
Impact of Early-life Exposure to Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) on Neonatal and Early Childhood Immune Function
This project looks at whether common household chemicals during pregnancy and early childhood change newborns' and young children's immune responses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332473 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be asked to provide samples during pregnancy and after your baby is born while researchers measure levels of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from items like furniture, electronics, and personal care products. Researchers will track immune markers in infants and young children — including antibody responses — and follow them over time for signs of infections, allergies, or autoimmune changes. The team will collect questionnaires and home measures to find why some families have higher exposures and which individual factors matter most. Results aim to point to practical steps families and policymakers can take to reduce harmful exposures for children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and their infants, and caregivers of young children who can provide biological samples and take part in follow-up visits and questionnaires.
Not a fit: Adults without pregnancy or children, or people unwilling to provide samples or participate in follow-up, are unlikely to benefit directly from joining this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help reduce infections, allergies, and autoimmune risks in children by identifying chemicals to avoid and informing prevention strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies show that individual SVOCs can alter immune function, but human evidence is limited and this project applies those findings to pregnant people and children.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hoffman, Jennifer K — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Hoffman, Jennifer K
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 below.