The critical first year of life represents a window when infant gut microbiomes undergo rapid colonization, yet most research has focused on Western populations. Understanding how environmental and clinical factors shape this process in diverse global settings could unlock new insights into early immunity, antibiotic resistance, and lifelong health trajectories.
The INBUGS-NG cohort tracked 90 Nigerian mother-infant pairs through their first year, collecting samples at 10 timepoints from birth through 365 days. This intensive sampling yielded 1,772 specimens including infant stool, maternal rectal swabs, breast milk, and environmental samples. The study employed long-read metagenomic sequencing to capture antibiotic resistance genes alongside bacterial community development. Notably, 93% of mothers received postpartum antibiotics, while 29% of infants received antibiotics within three months—rates reflecting common clinical practices in resource-limited settings.
This dataset addresses a significant gap in microbiome research, which has historically underrepresented African populations despite genetic and environmental diversity across the continent. The high antibiotic exposure rates, combined with only 8% exclusive breastfeeding and early water supplementation practices, create conditions distinct from typical Western cohorts. These factors likely drive different microbiome assembly patterns and resistance gene acquisition. While observational data cannot establish causation, this longitudinal approach with dense early sampling provides unprecedented resolution of microbiome dynamics in a Sub-Saharan African context. The findings may reveal population-specific patterns crucial for developing targeted interventions and understanding global variations in early-life microbiome development.