About AIMS

The Amsterdam Infant Microbiome Study researches how microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses affect children’s health and development. We study that effect by following the development of the intestinal bacteria from the very beginning of the child’s life. As the child grows and develops, the composition of his or her microbiome changes. We, the researchers at the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam), aim to study how the microbiome develops as the child grows from infancy to toddlerhood. In the process, we will also examine the correlation between the evolution of micro organisms and the non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and oral health problems.

This study will yield valuable new data which can help to further improve the quality of medical advice and, by extension, advance the health of current and future generations of children in Amsterdam and the rest of the world. Will you join us?

Participants in the AIMS research programme collect small samples of the child’s bodily substances, such as dental plaque, saliva and faecal matter. The GGD Amsterdam research team then collects these samples from your home. The samples of bodily substances are then stored for analysis at the GGD Amsterdam Regional Laboratory.

In addition to collecting bodily substances, we also ask participants to fill in an online questionnaire. It takes a maximum of 10 minutes to complete this questionnaire, and usually even less. The questions deal with the child’s diet, health complaints, and use of antibiotics and probiotics.

This study will provide useful information for current and future generations of children in Amsterdam and the rest of the world. With your help, we will gain greater insight into the development of the microbiome and its relationship to the development of diseases of affluence, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and oral health problems.

If you would like to know more about what the study entails for different members of the family, click on one of the buttons below.

The AIMS study is conducted by the Amsterdam Public Health Service/GGD Amsterdam, in conjunction with Sarphati Amsterdam. Sarphati Amsterdam is a research institute through which the GGD Amsterdam partners with Amsterdam’s hospitals and universities to prevent diseases of affluence. Together, we aim to investigate how as many children as possible can grow into healthy adults and how specific health issues might be prevented.