Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Nursing

Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Kelly Vowell Johnson

Committee Member

Dr. Allison Scott

Second Committee Member

Dr. Amy Williams

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate both the short- and long-term benefits that breastfeeding has on the infant gut microbiome. The PICOT question was: In full-term infants, how does exclusive breastfeeding compared to mixed or formula feeding influence the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome throughout the first 12 months of life? For this research, EBSCOhost, CINAHL, and the National Library of Medicine databases were searched to find relevant studies and systematic reviews. Terms such as “breastfeeding and infant gut microbiome” were used to conduct the search. Other terms used included “breastfeeding OR formula feeding”, “human milk AND gut microbiome”, and “infant gut microbiome AND health outcomes”. The review included 12 peer-reviewed articles, all published within the previous 5 years, except for three exceptions were made for studies that offered foundational relevance to the research topic. All selected articles were written in English, peer-reviewed, and had content that was applicable to the PICOT question. The benefits of breastfeeding for the infant are clear and numerous, both short- and long-term. Identified long-term benefits include a more selective and beneficial bacterial composition of the infant microbiome, short term infection and inflammation control, as well as long term disease and inflammation prevention. Promoting awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding for infants as well as mothers is an imperative job as a nursing student and a future healthcare worker. The Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding and Infant Support program addresses this need by providing mothers a safe and clean place to breastfeed at almost all Arkansas athletic events. The program provides education to mothers and the community on the benefits of breastfeeding. Additionally, their resources make breastfeeding at public athletic events more accessible and comfortable. Although research supporting these outcomes is available, additional studies related to the effects of public health interventions, such as programs like Tiny Tusks, may be needed. Additional studies focused primarily on infant health outcomes could improve our understanding of the effects breastfeeding has on specifically the infant. More community education about these effects and benefits could serve to both increase breastfeeding rates and improve infant health.

Keywords

“breastfeeding OR formula feeding”, “human milk AND gut microbiome”, and “infant gut microbiome AND health outcomes”

Additional Files
author agreement form.pdf (264 kB)
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