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BABE

Research Question:
Does lifestyle affect immune response and the development of allergic diseases in different populations?

Basic Study Information

Purpose:
You are eligible if you are pregnant and 18 years old or older and give birth to a healthy infant. The purpose of this study is to compare a group of people at low risk for getting allergies, the Old Order Mennonite, with a group of people at higher risk of getting allergies, the average person living in Rochester. The immune system protects us from diseases, working throughout the body, including in secretions such as saliva and breast milk, and in the normal bacteria in the stomach and intestines. The way people live, including the things they are exposed to, changes the way the immune system develops. A baby’s immune system develops over time. The baby’s ability to fight disease is helped by the mom’s immunity passed to the baby through breast milk. By comparing biological samples like saliva, breast milk, and stool, we can study differences between these two groups to see what’s different in a group at low risk and a group at higher risk of getting allergies. Using questionnaires and biologic samples (stool, skin cells, blood, etc.) we will evaluate the development of the infant microbiome, metabolite composition and the immune system and how that relates to the development of allergic disease. The microbiome is the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live on our bodies and inside us. A metabolite is any substance produced during metabolism (digestion or other bodily chemical processes). The term metabolite may also refer to the product that remains after a medicine is broken down (metabolized) by the body.

Location: URMC
Study Web URL: https://redcap.link/BABE
Study Reference #: STUDY00008510

Lead Researcher (Principal Investigator)

Lead Researcher: Kirsi Jarvinen-seppo

Study Contact Information

Study Coordinator: Allison W. Leadley
Phone: (585) 275-4640
Email: allergy_research@urmc.rochester.edu

Additional Study Details

Study Details:
Surveys and biological samples (stool, saliva, blood, etc.) are collected approximately every six months for the first two years. Compensation for each sample collected is provided.

Number of Visits: 6 to 10
Parking: Reimbursed
Transportation Coverage:
Reimbursement: Yes