Funding outcome

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of incurable chronic diseases of the intestines. People with IBD have changes in their gut bacteria that may be responsible for the gut inflammation. Children who are diagnosed with IBD at an early age have large changes in their gut microbes. Gut microbes in children originally come from the mother. The initial colonization of the gut begins at delivery, and is then influenced by environmental exposures and diet. The mother with IBD may transfer her abnormal microbial profile to her infant at delivery and breast feeding may continue to drive the growth of 'abnormal' bacteria in her infant. Abnormal gut bacteria in an infant in turn may lead to early intestinal inflammation. We aim to study the breast milk composition of mothers with IBD and compare with breast milk from healthy mothers. In addition, we will study how breast milk from mothers with IBD influences growth of pathogens and beneficial gut bacteria and also how different parts of the breast milk affect how bacteria interact with gut cells. Studying how breast milk influences bacterial growth and cell function can reveal important information as to how maternal breast milk may alter bacterial growth in the intestine to cause inflammation