Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

Perinatal exposures and upper respiratory tract microbiome composition are associated with age at first acute otitis

Corbin R Hite1, Congwen Zhao2, Kate Hoffman1

  • 1Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Perinatal exposures like feeding type can alter the infant

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common childhood infection and leading reason for antibiotic use.
  • The upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiome's role in AOM development is not fully understood.
  • Early life factors influencing URT colonization and AOM risk require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if perinatal exposures influence the infant URT microbiome at birth.
  • To determine the association between early URT microbiome composition and AOM risk.
  • To explore the impact of birth mode, intrapartum antibiotics, and feeding on URT microbiome and AOM.

Main Methods:

  • Collected nasopharyngeal swabs from 163 infants within 48 hours of birth.
  • Analyzed URT microbiome composition using 16S rRNA V4 sequencing.
  • Utilized Cox proportional hazards models to link exposures, microbiome data, and AOM occurrences.

Main Results:

  • URT microbiome diversity and composition correlated with infant feeding type at discharge.
  • Exclusive formula feeding was linked to higher URT microbiome diversity and specific bacterial genera.
  • Greater URT microbiome diversity at birth was associated with earlier onset of AOM.

Conclusions:

  • Perinatal exposures, particularly feeding practices, may shape the infant's initial URT microbiome.
  • Early life URT microbiome composition appears to influence susceptibility to AOM.
  • Further research into early life microbiome modulation could inform AOM prevention strategies.

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