Launched in 2017, the MiMIC project has successfully recruited 500 mother-infant pairs. It is led by APC researchers Prof. Catherine Stanton (Teagasc), Prof. Paul Ross (UCC), and Prof. Eugene Dempsey consultant neonatologist at Cork University Maternity Hospital and investigator at the INFANT Research Centre UCC. The study examines how maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy and delivery mode (C-section versus vaginal birth) impact the infant gut microbiome during the first two years of life. A key goal is to pinpoint specific microbial populations that may be absent in C-section-born infants whose gut microbiota is typically altered due to these early-life exposures.

The newly launched MiMIC Follow-Up study will extend this research through the children’s fifth year including 400 participants from the original cohort. It will also integrate children from APC’s separate PIMENTO study (Preterm Infants: Microbiome Establishment Neuro-CrossTalk and Origins). The extended study will focus on several core objectives:

Long-Term Monitoring: The follow-up will assess neurological, immune, and metabolic health outcomes in the MiMIC cohort at age five offering critical insights into the lasting impacts of early-life microbiome disruptions.

Enhanced Biosampling: The study will involve expanded sample collection, enabling comprehensive microbiome profiling through advanced sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analysis.

Environmental Influences on Brain and Immunity: Using sophisticated statistical and computational methods researchers will identify modifiable environmental factors that influence key bacterial populations linked to immune and brain development deepening our understanding of microbiome driven physiological programming.

Identifying Absent Microbes: Continued work with the MiMIC Strain Bank (MSB) will focus on gold standard infants those born vaginally without antibiotic exposure to identify and isolate microbial strains missing in C-section-born and/or antibiotic-exposed infants.

The continued progress of the MiMIC study underscores the vital role of microbiome research in shaping early childhood health. APC and IFF remain dedicated to uncovering how gut microbiota especially in relation to birth mode and antibiotic exposure influences long-term outcomes.  

Prof. Paul Ross emphasized the study's public health significance calling the extension a key step toward deeper understanding. Prof. Catherine Stanton highlighted the importance of tracking links between early microbial disruption and outcomes like atopic disease and neurodevelopment. Dr. Johanna Maukonen of IFF noted that early findings are promising and the next phase could open new doors for intervention helping ensure healthier futures for children.

Source: https://www.ucc.ie/en/apc/news/apc-news/apc-and-iff-announce-4-year-extension-of-landmark-mimic-study-on-infant-microbiomes-and-development.html