Sweet Cheeks: How Early Nutrition Affects Oral Microbiota Populations and Disease Incidence
Condition: Health Behavior
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Dietary and oral hygiene habits are known to affect oral microorganisms and disease
      incidence, but most research has focused on preschool aged (2-4 yr old) children. A recent
      experiment in our lab demonstrated a highly diverse oral microbiome in the saliva of infants
      without teeth (3-6 months old). These data suggest that soft tissues in the mouth serve as a
      reservoir for pathogens and must be considered in oral health management. The evolution of
      microorganisms that occurs between birth and tooth eruption has not been characterized and
      may have great implications as it pertains to oral disease later in life. The investigators
      are interested in determining how dietary changes during this time affect oral microbiota.
      Tongue and cheek swab samples will be collected from a small cohort of infants (n=20) at 4
      time points. At the same time, a survey and 3 day feeding diary of the infant's diet will be
      collected. In addition, a pregnancy survey and food frequency questionnaire will be
      administered at the time of recruitment. Research staff will conduct a 10-minute interview at
      the first and last oral sample collection time. These pilot data will provide important
      diet-oral microbe relationships in edentulous infants, allowing us to propose and test
      specific hypotheses pertaining to diet, oral microbes, and disease in young children.
    

Detailed description: 
      Dietary and oral hygiene habits are known to affect oral microorganisms and disease
      incidence, but most research has focused on preschool aged (2-4 yr old) children. A recent
      experiment in our lab demonstrated a highly diverse oral microbiome in the saliva of infants
      without teeth (3-6 months old). These data suggest that soft tissues in the mouth serve as a
      reservoir for pathogens and must be considered in oral health management. The evolution of
      microorganisms that occurs between birth and tooth eruption has not been characterized and
      may have great implications as it pertains to oral disease later in life. The investigators
      are interested in determining how dietary changes during this time affect oral microbiota.
      Here, tongue and cheek swab samples will be collected from a small cohort of infants (n=20)
      at 4 time points: 1) within 5 days of age; 2)2 wk after infant formula feeding begins; 3) 2
      wk after solid foods offered; and 4) 2 wk after breast-feeding ceases. At the same time, a
      survey and 3 day feeding diary of the infant's diet will be collected. In addition, a
      pregnancy survey and food frequency questionnaire will be administered at the time of
      recruitment. Research staff will conduct a 10-minute interview at the first and last oral
      sample collection time. These pilot data will provide important diet-oral microbe
      relationships in edentulous infants, allowing us to propose and test specific hypotheses
      pertaining to diet, oral microbes, and disease in young children.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Full term infants born via vaginal delivery
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Oral swabs of tongue and cheeks. Bacterial DNA to be extracted, no human DNA will be
      extracted