On average, children suffer 5-6 upper respiratory infections (URI) per year. Although these infections usually resolve after 1-2 weeks, they cause a substantial burden on both caregivers and the NHS. They can also contribute to secondary infections and the overuse of antibiotics, leading to antibiotic resistance and may trigger other respiratory conditions such as wheeze and asthma. URIs occur more frequently when children begin daycare/nursery, increasing symptoms from 4 to 11 days per month and increasing parental absence from work.
Exciting research shows that healthy microbes within the human body, known as microbiomes, can influence many diseases in the gut, including intestinal infections. However, less is known about the microbiome of the nose and throat (nasopharynx), especially in children, however it may influence their risk of developing asthma later in childhood. Children who attend daycare have different microbiomes to those who have family care, however little research has examined how the nasopharyngeal microbiome changes upon introduction to daycare and how this may influence risk of getting an infection.
NESTED (Nasopharyngeal Environment Study in Children Attending Daycare) is an observational cohort study examining the nasopharyngeal microbiome of 30 children in East London before they begin daycare and for 12 weeks after starting daycare. It has three aims:
1. Characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiome of children in East London and examine the effect of household and environmental factors (e.g. pollution, family smoking status, home environment).
2. Study how the nasopharyngeal microbiome changes upon introduction to daycare and its association with URI symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose etc)
3. Isolate healthy bacteria and test their ability to kill other bacteria that lead to infections.
This research will help us to understand what household factors may affect the nasopharyngeal microbiome in children in East London and help to identify species of bacteria that may be protective against childhood URIs that could be used as novel probiotics upon introduction to daycare.