Research increasingly focuses on how the gut microbiome—the collection of microbes in our digestive system—develop, change and contribute to health. Investigators at the ACNC, led by Dr. Umesh Wankhade, used a mouse model to explore how a maternal diet, consumed before and during pregnancy, affects the gut microbiome of the following generation. Specifically, their team examined […]
ACNC News
The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center turned 30!
The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center celebrated its 30th anniversary with a symposium held on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The event brought together esteemed speakers to share Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center’s history, ongoing research, and future directions in parental and child nutrition. The symposium commenced with remarks from key stakeholders in nutrition and agriculture, including Senator […]
Seeking an Easier Way to Assess Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Kids
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a key indicator of health. However, measuring peak oxygen consumption needed to determine cardiorespiratory fitness can be difficult to measure in children, who may not be able to, or willing to, push themselves and give a maximum effort during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. That’s why investigators at the ACNC explored if another measure, […]
Child Temperament Shaped by Maternal Psychiatric Symptoms, Family Environment and Infant Feeding
An infant or child’s temperament influences their behavior and the way they interact with others. Newer research suggests that maternal affection and environmental factors, including feeding method, can influence infant temperament. Researchers at the ACNC investigated how maternal factors (affection and psychiatric symptoms) and child factors (environment and early nutrition) affected child’s temperament for the […]
Reviewing the Effect of Early Infant Diet on Neurodevelopment
Human milk consumption (being breastfed) during infancy is thought to give a slight cognitive advantage throughout early childhood compared to formula, independent of maternal education and intelligence scores. However, there are relatively few studies on the impact of diet on the structure and function of the developing infant brain. A recently published systematic review from […]
Dietary Modification of Platelet Activation
The correlation between obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has long been understood – and with CVD comes increased risk of heart attack or stroke, occurring when platelets in the blood form clots that block blood flow. Less is known on the impact of an obesogenic diet on platelet activation or function. ACNC Investigators aimed to […]
ACNC Breezes National Nutrition Conference
The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Research Center is hosting a symposium at the American Society for Nutrition’s 2024 conference, titled, “ACNC: 30 Years of Advancing Nutrition Science Research for Maternal and Child Health” on July 2nd in Chicago. Throughout the conference, several ACNC faculty and staff will join the greater nutrition community to present innovative research at this […]
Meet the Trainee: Dr. Hailemariam “Haile” Abrha Assress
Upon entering Addis Ababa University (AAU) in Ethiopia, Hailemariam “Haile” Abrha Assress had hopes of becoming a pharmacist. After graduating with distinction near the top of his class in 2007, Haile stayed on as a Graduate assistant. He completed his master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 2011 and continued to work for another five years […]
Food Insecurity and Allergic Diseases: A Call to Collective Action
Over 10% of Americans are food insecure – uncertain of their access to adequate food. Food insecurity is a key social determinate of health, known to negatively affect nutrition and health outcomes. To allergy and immunology patients who may have to adhere to specific diets, the impact of food insecurity can complicate medical care. Prominent […]
The Nourish Pilot: Does What Mom Eats Change What is in Her Breast Milk?
Breast milk provides the nutrients babies need – as well as additional components, like hormones and signaling factors, that strengthen their immune system to fight infections and support gut development. Breast milk from mothers with excessive weight has been associated with increased concentrations of signaling compounds (hormones, proinflammatory cytokines, and oligosaccharides) compared to breast milk […]