University of Auckland researchers are seeking to enlist 300 babies for a study investigating the potential health benefits of prebiotic foods such as kūmara.
The scientists hope to discover how prebiotics affect the bacteria in babies bowels, says Professor Clare Wall who is leading the study.
“What we're really interested in is what happens to [this bacteria] when you introduce solid food and if it's possible to influence the way that [the bacteria] develop and the types of bacteria that are present, which can benefit baby's health in a positive way," she tells Jesse Mulligan.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Foods with prebiotic properties, which are predominantly plant-based, travel to the large bowel where bacteria use them for food, Professor Wall says.
"We're really interested in the components of prebiotics and how they impact the type of bacterial microbiota that are in babies’ large bowels.”
Kūmara has been chosen for the study because it is a good source of prebiotics, she says.
“The babies will be randomised to receive the kūmara in different forms, and then they're followed up to six months. So, they're given a known dose of the kūmara every single day, that parents can feed babies, and then we basically, you know, take biological samples from them for the first six months, poo samples and things and then follow them up until they're around one year of age.”
Different food introduced in the second part of the first year of life shapes the microbiota in different ways, Professor Wall says.
“We've seen that already in our pilot studies. So, we're hoping a much larger trial will help us can understand that better.
“But [we also want to] see whether influencing those bacteria can have an impact on certain immune functions in the infants. So that's looking at certain immune parameters and also respiratory infections in that time.”
Parents of the babies participating in the study will have to bring them to a University of Auckland facility three times over the course of the research, she says.
“[The visits will involve] a short assessment and interview, collecting a little bit of poo sample at each of those times and also answering some wellness questionnaires during that period.
"It's not a huge, a huge burden. And hopefully, we will also provide them with some positive feedback about their infants, growth and development, but also their dietary intake during that time.”
If you are interested in getting involved in the study, you can contact Clare at c.wall@auckland.ac.nz and find more information here.
