Improving Antibiotic Use for Breastfeeding Mothers and Their Babies

Optimization of Antibiotics in Mothers and their Breastfed Infants Using Pharmacomicrobiomic and Metabolomic Analyses

NIH-funded research University of California, San Diego · NIH-11143898

This research aims to understand how antibiotics given to breastfeeding mothers affect their infants' health, especially their gut bacteria and immune system.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Diego NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (La Jolla, United States)
Project IDNIH-11143898 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

When breastfeeding mothers take antibiotics, we want to understand how much of the medicine reaches their babies through breast milk or close contact. This project looks at how these antibiotics might impact the baby's developing gut microbiome, which is the community of helpful bacteria in their digestive system, and their overall immune function. We are also exploring how breast milk itself, with its beneficial components, might protect the baby's gut health even when antibiotics are present. Our goal is to find the best ways to use antibiotics in mothers to keep both mother and baby healthy.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be breastfeeding mothers who need antibiotic treatment and their infants.

Not a fit: Patients who are not breastfeeding or whose infants are not exposed to maternal antibiotics would not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer and more effective antibiotic guidelines for breastfeeding mothers, protecting infant health while ensuring mothers receive necessary treatment.

How similar studies have performed: While the general topic of maternal-infant pharmacology is established, this project uses advanced pharmacomicrobiomic and metabolomic analyses to explore novel aspects of antibiotic impact on the infant microbiome and immune system.

Where this research is happening

La Jolla, 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 2026-06-13 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.