Maternal Antibiotics and Breastfeeding Infant Health
Official title: Impact of Maternal Antibiotics on the Breastfeeding Infant Microbiome and Metabolome
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11143906 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how antibiotics taken by breastfeeding mothers might influence their baby's gut health and body chemistry.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $210,424 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD106463-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143906 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be breastfeeding mothers who are taking antibiotics for common infections and their infants.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not breastfeeding or whose mothers are not taking antibiotics would not directly benefit from participating in this specific research.
What this research studies
We are looking into how antibiotics a breastfeeding mother takes for common infections might affect her baby's gut bacteria and metabolism. This is important because a baby's early gut health can have long-term effects on their overall well-being. We plan to use gentle skin swabs to check for antibiotic levels in babies, which is a new way to monitor drugs without needing blood draws. We will also examine infant stool samples to see how their gut bacteria and body chemistry change.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us better understand the long-term health effects of maternal antibiotic use on infants and potentially guide future recommendations for breastfeeding mothers.
How similar studies have gone: This project utilizes innovative methods like untargeted metabolomics and non-invasive skin swabs, suggesting a novel approach to monitoring drug effects in infants.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tsunoda, Shirley M — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Tsunoda, Shirley M
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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.