Household cooking smoke in pregnancy and early life and its effects on children's microbes and lung growth

Prenatal and infant household air pollution exposure, the human microbiome and virome, and childhood lung function: the GRAPHS randomized controlled trial

NIH-funded research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11260220

Seeing if reducing smoke from household cooking during pregnancy and early infancy leads to healthier microbes and better lung growth in children.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11260220 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be part of a project that follows mothers and their children from pregnancy through childhood to study the effects of household air pollution. Families were randomized to interventions that lower smoke exposure during pregnancy and infancy, and researchers collect nasal, gut, and other samples to profile bacteria and viruses using sequencing methods. Children's lung function is measured over time to see how early smoke exposure and microbiome changes relate to lung growth. The work builds on the existing Ghana GRAPHS cohort and uses accepted clinical and laboratory methods.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people and their infants living in areas that use smoky household cooking fuels, particularly participants from the Ghana GRAPHS region.

Not a fit: People not exposed to household cooking smoke or those with unrelated, established lung disease are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could support cleaner-cooking interventions that reduce childhood respiratory problems and improve long-term lung health.

How similar studies have performed: Some trials have lowered household smoke exposure before, but linking those exposure reductions to children's microbiome and long-term lung growth is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.