Infant Diet and Caregiver Resistome

Breastfeeding and Its Impact on the Infant-caregiver Resistome

Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) are the genes that allow bacteria to survive antibiotic treatments. These genes can be found in beneficial gut microbes, and occur more frequently in infants than adults. These genes can also transmit between different bacterial species. Exclusively breastfed infants carry fewer ARGs than formula fed infants. We are trying to find out if care-givers working with exclusively breastfed infants have fewer ARGs than those working with formula fed infants.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employment at a childcare facility or home daycare at time of sampling
• Participant works and interacts with infants under the age 6 months old, including responsibility for changing diapers
• Participant >18 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participant has a history or presence of a medical condition including Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disase, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, colon cancer, Celiac's disease, or other GI disordrs
• Current priobitic use or probiotic use within the last 4 weeks
• Participant is currently pregnant or breastfeeding
• Participant has an infant <12 months old at home for 3 or more days per week
• Enrollment in a clinical trial involving an invstigational drug or dvic
• Antibiotic use within the past 3 months
• Participant working exclusively with infants >6 months old at time of stool sample collection