Understanding Our Research
Discoveries of the Gut-Brain Connection in Premature InfantsAt the University of Chicago, our team is studying how the gut microbiome, the community of bacteria and other organisms living in the intestines, impact brain development in premature babies. This “gut-brain axis” is a form of communications between gut and the brain that plays an important role in early growth, learning, and long-term health.
Why this research is important:
For babies born early, the first few months of life are a critical window for development. Preterm infants often face unique challenges because their gut, brain, and immune systems are still growing. Our studies suggest that the types of bacteria living in a baby’s gut during the growth phase can influence how their brain develops and how they learn later in childhood. By understanding these patterns, we hope to find new ways to support healthy development from an early age.
What we’re studying:
Our research, led by Dr. Erika C. Claud, MD and the NIH-funded MIND (Microbiome and Infant Neurodevelopment) project, follows premature infants from their time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) through early childhood. We collect small stool and blood samples to study the microbiome and related chemicals, and we assess children’s development through early learning and school readiness testing.
Comer Children’s Hospital
Comer Children’s Hospital Dr. Erika Claud in her lab on Monday, December 12, 2016 at the Knapp Center for Biological Discovery on the University of Chicago campus. (Photo by Nancy Wong)
What we’ve learned so far:
Through our years of research, we discovered that preterm infants have a unique gut bacteria makeup compared to full-term babies. Their gut, immune system, and brain are all still developing at once which take longer to mature and show a lower bacterial gut diversity. Important medical factors like antibiotic use, delivery type, and duration of NICU stay can influence which bacteria can grow in the gut. Dysbiosis (disrupted microbiome development) increases risk of inflammation in the body and brain, which can impair brain maturation, and contributes to later neurodevelopmental disorders. Our research has shown that optimizing microbiome colonization early in life could be protective, and that microbiome targeted therapies (e.g., probiotics, altered NICU practices, antibiotic stewardship) might improve long-term cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
Your involvement matters deeply. By joining this study, families are helping us uncover new knowledge that could guide future care and treatments for vulnerable infants everywhere. Thank you for your continued support!
Premature infant in an incubator
Pregnancy – Newborn baby head circumference
Kangaroo care
What this means for families:
Our goal is to understand how early gut health influence the brain so we can contribute to the knowledge and development of medical interventions, like tailored probiotics, improved NICU care practices, and nutrition strategies, that can help premature babies thrive! Every baby’s participation helps us take a step closer to finding ways to improve lifelong outcomes for children born preterm.
Your involvement matters deeply. By joining this study, families are helping us uncover new knowledge that could guide future care and treatments for vulnerable infants everywhere.
