Maternal High Fibre Fermented Diet Effect on Breastfed Infant Gut Microbiome

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW · May 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how the diet of breastfeeding mothers can affect the gut bacteria in their babies. Researchers want to find out if a two-week diet that is high in fiber and includes fermented foods, like yogurt and kefir, can change the gut microbiota of breastfed babies aged 2 to 5 months compared to mothers who continue their usual diet. The gut microbiota is important for a baby’s overall health, and the sugars in breast milk, which are influenced by a mother's diet, play a role in developing a healthy gut.

To participate in the study, mothers need to be healthy and at least 18 years old, and their babies should be full-term, healthy infants who are exclusively breastfed and between 2 to 5 months old. During the study, participants will be assigned to either follow the high-fiber fermented diet or continue their regular diet. They will attend a visit to provide body measurements, answer questionnaires about gut health, share their food intake for a few days, and give stool and breast milk samples. This research aims to help understand how diet influences both mothers and their babies during breastfeeding.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Healthy breastfeeding women aged 18 years old and older.
• • Healthy singleton full-term infants (girls and boys) aged between 2 and 5 months old and who are exclusively breastfed.
• • Not using lifelong medications and antibiotics in the past 12 weeks prior to the study.
• • Not using prebiotic or probiotic supplements in the past 4 weeks prior to the study.
• • No serious problems preventing participants from breastfeeding their babies.
• • No food allergies or intolerances.
• • No chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, bowel disorders, eating disorders, or any illness requiring regular medical care or lifelong medication.
• • No history of complications during pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia and gestational diabetes).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Expecting two or more children (i.e., multiple births; twins, triplets).
• • Not exclusively breastfeeding their infants (i.e., introduced formula or solids) or having medical conditions known to contraindicate breastfeeding (e.g., classic galactosemia, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-virus) infection, untreated tuberculosis (TB)).
• • Preterm birth.
• • Clinically diagnosed with chronic medical conditions (e.g., type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and mental illnesses).
• • Medical conditions affecting gastric digestion or absorption (e.g., inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)).
• • Conditions interfering with intervention intake (e.g., celiac disease, gluten hypersensitivity or lactose intolerance).
• • History of gestational complications.
• • Use of antibiotics in the past 12 weeks prior to the study.
• • Use of prebiotic or probiotic supplements in the past 4 weeks prior to the study.
• • Following exclusionary or restrictive diets (e.g., gluten-free, or weight loss).