The Infant Microbiome Institute (IMI) is an educational hub dedicated to making early-life microbiome science clear, practical, and honest. We translate complex research into tools that real families and pediatric professionals can actually use.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide science-grounded education that empowers parents and pediatric teams to make informed decisions about infant gut health, feeding, and microbiome-supportive care—without industry influence or fear-based messaging.
Our Vision
We envision a world where every caregiver and pediatric professional understands how early-life microbiome development shapes lifelong health, and has access to unbiased, practical resources to support it.
What We Do
For Families
IMI creates plain-language guides on infant gut development, feeding, stool patterns, rashes, and “is this normal?” questions. We help parents understand why things happen—not just what to do—so they can partner confidently with their child’s care team.
For Clinicians & Trainees
For medical students, residents, attendings, nurses, lactation professionals, midwives, and other clinicians, IMI offers evidence summaries, teaching materials, and frameworks that connect microbiome research to everyday pediatric practice.
Our Values
The way we present science matters as much as the science itself. IMI is built on:
- Evidence-based: Grounded in peer-reviewed research, with citations and context where appropriate.
- Transparent: Honest about what we know, what we don’t know yet, and where the evidence is still emerging.
- Parent-centered: Written to reduce fear, build understanding, and support informed choices.
- Clinician-supportive: Designed to save time, not replace clinical judgement.
- Accessible science: Clear language, visual aids, and layered explanations for different levels of background.
- Integrity: No sponsorship from formula companies or industry partners that would influence our content.
About the Founder
The Infant Microbiome Institute was founded by Dr. Irissa Rosario, a board-certified pediatrician hospitalist with a special interest in early-life gut health, feeding, and integrative approaches to pediatric care. Through her clinical work and teaching, she saw how often families and clinicians were navigating complex microbiome questions without clear, unbiased, practical guidance.
IMI grew out of a desire to bridge that gap: to honor rigorous science, acknowledge real-world constraints, and support families and pediatric teams working together on behalf of infants.
The Infant Microbiome Institute is an educational initiative and does not provide direct medical care.
What IMI is Not
IMI is an educational resource, not a medical practice or research enrollment portal.
- We do not provide individualized medical advice or diagnose conditions.
- We do not replace your child’s pediatric clinician or emergency care.
- We do not enroll participants into studies through this website.
Our goal is to help you understand the science better so you can have clearer, calmer conversations with your own healthcare team.
Where to Go Next
- Microbiome 101 – foundations of infant gut science
- Parents – guides written for families
- Clinicians – tools and summaries for pediatric teams
- Research – selected studies and research highlights