How the gut and liver affect fat absorption in very premature babies
Official title: Liver-Gut-Microbiome Axis and Fatty acid absorption in Preterm Infants
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11290329 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether immature gut bacteria, altered bile acids, and pasteurized donor milk make it harder for very low birth weight preterm babies to absorb essential fats.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | May 16, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $709,040 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK135602-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290329 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are very low birth weight preterm infants cared for in the NICU, especially those receiving donor milk or showing poor weight gain or cholestasis.
✕Less likely to help
Full-term infants, older infants not in the NICU, or babies whose growth problems are unrelated to fat absorption are unlikely to get direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
From the parent’s perspective, this work follows very low birth weight preterm infants in the NICU and collects stool, blood, and feeding information to link gut microbes and bile acids with fat absorption and growth. The team will compare infants fed maternal milk versus pasteurized donor milk and measure key long-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and microbiome diversity. Laboratory tests will examine how pasteurization affects milk lipase and how microbes change lipid digestion and uptake. The goal is to find feeding or treatment changes that could improve fat absorption and support better growth and development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to feeding changes or therapies that improve fat absorption, growth, and brain/eye development in very premature infants.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows pasteurization can reduce milk lipase and that donor-fed VLBW infants may have lower microbiome diversity and poorer growth, but targeted fixes for fatty-acid absorption remain relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hair, Amy Boriskie — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Hair, Amy Boriskie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How breast milk IgA influences the gut bacteria in preterm infants
This study is looking at how a special part of breast milk called IgA helps protect the gut health of preterm babies by keeping harmful bacteria away, which could help lower the chances of them getting a serious intestinal problem called NEC.
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Understanding how the liver and gut bacteria affect fat absorption in premature infants
This study is looking at how very low birth weight babies can better absorb important fats for their growth, especially when they are fed donor milk instead of their mom's milk, and it aims to find ways to help these tiny infants get the nutrition they need.
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How the gut microbiome affects brain development in preterm infants
This study is looking at how the bacteria in the guts of preterm babies might affect their brain development, hoping to find ways to support their growth and health as they grow up.
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Investigating how protein-rich human milk diets affect growth and gut health in very premature infants.
This study is looking at how feeding extremely premature babies, born at 28 weeks or earlier, a special diet with more protein in their human milk can help them grow better and support their gut health, with the hope of finding better ways to care for these tiny fighters.
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Screening and treatment of Chlamydia infection in pregnancy to help prevent preterm birth
This grant studies whether screening pregnant people for Chlamydia trachomatis and treating those who are positive can reduce the risk of preterm birth.
-
Preterm infant body composition and early-life health after NICU stay
This grant studies how body composition in very preterm babies relates to later brain development and risk of obesity or diabetes, with findings meant to improve care from NICU through early childhood.
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.