Microbiome in the First 1000 Days of Life

Edited by:

Souhaila Al Khodor, PhD, Reproductive and Perinatal Health Division in the Research Branch at Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 10 December 2025

Journal of Translational Medicine is calling for submissions to our Collection on Microbiome in the First 1000 Days of Life.

We welcome original research and review articles covering topics such as:
1. The role of the maternal microbiome in shaping infant microbiome development.
2. The impact of pregnancy complications on early-life microbiome composition.
3. Role of the human milk microbiome on infant’s health.
4. The influence of antibiotics and other early-life exposures on microbiome maturation.
5. The gut-brain axis: microbiome interactions and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
6. Interventions to promote a healthy microbiome, including probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary modifications.

Image credit: © Design Cells / Getty Images

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

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About the Collection

The first 1000 days of life from conception to a child's second birthday, represent a critical window of development. During this highly dynamic period, the maternal microbiome plays a fundamental role in shaping the infant’s microbiome, immune system, metabolic and neurodevelopmental processes.

Several factors influence the “seeding” of microbiome in early life, including maternal health, mode of delivery, gestational age, use of antibiotics, breastfeeding, and type of diet. Emerging evidence suggests that microbial dysbiosis during early life may contribute to an increased risk of chronic diseases, including allergies, obesity, and neurodevelopmental disorders among others. Understanding the dynamics of the early life microbiome, factors involved in its composition, mechanisms by which it interacts with the host and identifying interventions to promote a healthy microbiome “seeding” are key areas of ongoing research.

Therefore, we have launched a special issue entitled “Microbiome in the First 1000 Days of Life”. This collection aims to highlight recent advances in microbiome research during early life, focusing on its dynamics, impact on immune development, metabolism, and neurodevelopment, as well as potential interventions to promote a healthy microbiome.

We welcome original research and review articles covering topics such as:

1. The role of the maternal microbiome in shaping infant microbiome development.

2. The impact of pregnancy complications on early-life microbiome composition.

3. Role of the human milk microbiome on infant’s health.

4. The influence of antibiotics and other early-life exposures on microbiome maturation.

5. The gut-brain axis: microbiome interactions and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

6. Interventions to promote a healthy microbiome, including probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary modifications.

We invite researchers to contribute to this special issue by sharing their latest findings and insights on the early-life microbiome and its implications for long-term health.

Meet the Guest Editor

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Souhaila Al Khodor, PhD, Reproductive and Perinatal Health Division in the Research Branch at Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Al Khodor received her Bachelor’s degree in Medical Lab technology from the Faculty of Public Health at the Lebanese University in 2001. Soon after, she started her master’s degree in microbiology and Immunology at the American University of Beirut (2002-2004). Dr. Al Khodor received her second master’s degree and PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA (2005-2008). Before joining Sidra, Dr. Al Khodor worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Signaling systems Unit, laboratory of Systems Biology, at the National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, USA.
Dr. Al Khodor’s laboratory at Sidra Medicine focuses on using multi-omics (metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) and computational biology tools to understand the role of the microbiome - host interactions in pregnancy complications (mainly preterm birth and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) and complex pediatric disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Dr. Al Khodor is an adjunct Faculty at the College of Health & Life Sciences in Hamad Bin Khalifa University. She has over 80 peer-reviewed publications. She currently serves as the Section Editor for Metagenomics in the Journal of Translational Medicine journal.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original research and review articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal.

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Editorial Manager. Please select the appropriate Collection title “Microbiome in the First 1000 Days of Life" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.