Infant cortisol and microbiome study

This study aims to understand how we can use fecal samples to measure cortisol levels in babies. Cortisol is used to measure stress biologically, and past research has used saliva or blood samples to do so. However, these measures can be hard to collect in infants, whereas diapers are relatively easy to obtain. We are aiming to determine whether cortisol in fecal samples changes throughout the day, like saliva or blood samples, or whether they are consistent like in urine. We will also use these data to investigate relationships between cortisol and composition of the gut microbiome, health, and infant distress. We are also measuring the composition of the skin microbiome to understand how the people a baby comes into contact with can affect their health.