Browsing by Author "Gasser O"

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    "Nourish to Flourish": complementary feeding for a healthy infant gut microbiome-a non-randomised pilot feasibility study.
    (Springer Nature Limited., 2022-05-18) Lovell AL; Eriksen H; McKeen S; Mullaney J; Young W; Fraser K; Altermann E; Gasser O; Kussmann M; Roy NC; McNabb WC; Wall CR
    BACKGROUND: The introduction of complementary foods and changes in milk feeding result in modifications to gastrointestinal function. The interplay between indigestible carbohydrates, host physiology, and microbiome, and immune system development are areas of intense research relevant to early and later-life health. METHODS: This 6-month prospective non-randomised feasibility study was conducted in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ), in January 2018. Forty parents/caregivers and their infants were enrolled, with 30 infants allocated to receive a prebiotic NZ kūmara (flesh and skin; a type of sweet potato) prepared as a freeze-dried powder, and ten infants allocated to receive a commercially available probiotic control known to show relevant immune benefits (109 CFU Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12®). The primary outcome was the study feasibility measures which are reported here. RESULTS: Recruitment, participant retention, and data collection met feasibility targets. Some limitations to biological sample collection were encountered, with difficulties in obtaining sufficient plasma sample volumes for the proposed immune parameter analyses. Acceptability of the kūmara powder was met with no reported adverse events. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that recruiting infants before introducing complementary foods is feasible, with acceptable adherence to the food-based intervention. These results will inform the protocol of a full-scale randomised controlled trial (RCT) with adjustments to the collection of biological samples to examine the effect of a prebiotic food on the prevalence of respiratory tract infections during infancy. Trial registration Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000157279 . Prospectively registered on 02/01/2018.
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    Nourishing the Infant Gut Microbiome to Support Immune Health: Protocol of SUN (Seeding Through Feeding) Randomized Controlled Trial.
    (JMIR Publications, 2024-09-02) Wall CR; Roy NC; Mullaney JA; McNabb WC; Gasser O; Fraser K; Altermann E; Young W; Cooney J; Lawrence R; Jiang Y; Galland BC; Fu X; Tonkie JN; Mahawar N; Lovell AL; Ma S
    Background: The introduction of complementary foods during the first year of life influences the diversity of the gut microbiome. How this diversity affects immune development and health is unclear. Objective: This study evaluates the effect of consuming kūmara or kūmara with added banana powder (resistant starch) compared to a reference control at 4 months post randomization on the prevalence of respiratory tract infections and the development of the gut microbiome. Methods: This study is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of mothers and their 6-month-old infants (up to n=300) who have not yet started solids. Infants are randomized into one of 3 groups: control arm (C), standard kūmara intervention (K), and a kūmara intervention with added banana powder product (K+) to be consumed daily for 4 months until the infant is approximately 10 months old. Infants are matched for sex using stratified randomization. Data are collected at baseline (prior to commencing solid food) and at 2 and 4 months after commencing solid food (at around 8 and 10 months of age). Data and samples collected at each timepoint include weight and length, intervention adherence (months 2 and 4), illness and medication history, dietary intake (months 2 and 4), sleep (diary and actigraphy), maternal dietary intake, breast milk, feces (baseline and 4 months), and blood samples (baseline and 4 months). Results: The trial was approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health, New Zealand (reference 20/NTA/9). Recruitment and data collection did not commence until January 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection and analyses are expected to conclude in January 2024 and early 2025, respectively. Results are to be published in 2024 and 2025. Conclusions: The results of this study will help us understand how the introduction of a specific prebiotic complementary food affects the microbiota and relative abundances of the microbial species, the modulation of immune development, and infant health. It will contribute to the expanding body of research that aims to deepen our understanding of the connections between nutrition, gut microbiota, and early-life postnatal health. Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000026921; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378654 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/56772 JMIR Res Protoc 2024;13:e56772