HELMi infant-parents 16S rRNA

The Health and Early-Life Microbiota (HELMi) is a birth cohort study of 1055 healthy Finnish children who are currently followed from birth until 4 to 5 years of age. The HELMi infant-parents 16S rRNA data set is derived from stool samples from infants collected from 3 weeks of age to 2 years, and their parents' (pregnant mother and father or other partner) stool samples collected in the weeks around delivery. Infant stool samples were collected at 3, 6 weeks and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. The samples were collected by the parents at home and samples were stored at home at -20°C until being brought to the lab in frozen form. Upon receival the samples were immediately stored at -80°C until processing. Fecal DNA was generated by repeated beat beating method and the 16S rRNA gene hypervariable V3-V4 region was amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq or HiSeq sequencing technology. The study protocols have been approved by the ethical committee of The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (263/13/03/03 2015) and are performed in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The guardians have provided an informed, written consent. participation is voluntary and the participants can withdraw from the study at any point. The study does not include any invasive procedures for infants.