Funding outcome

Affecting 10% of hospitalized Canadians, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are an ongoing problem, even for newborns. The hospital microbial environment also shapes the development of beneficial gut bacteria. My research studies the impact of prolonged hospitalization and antibiotic resistance after birth on gut bacteria, and future food and other allergies in a Canadian cohort of infants. It involves infants, born in hospital either by vaginal or cesarean delivery, with fecal samples at 3 and 12 months of age. My first study objective is to test the relationship between staying longer in hospital after birth and the chance of developing food and other allergies, and whether gut bacteria and antibiotic resistance during infancy could be a pathway for this relationship. In my second objective of the study, I will use mouse experiments to confirm how early-life antibiotic treatment can lead to food allergy and whether this can be prevented by specific bacteria in probiotic supplements. Since our previous study found that having fewer Bacteriodaceae bacteria in the infant gut leads to food allergy, I will test whether increasing the amount of Bacteroidaceae in mice gut bacteria prevents allergies. Overall, my findings will support the development of hospital policies to limit the length of hospitalization and antibiotic exposure of newborns, as well as the development of probiotic therapies to prevent allergic diseases.