Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality continues to undertake exemplary work with the mission of facilitating the lives of disadvantaged individuals and providing them with equal opportunities with its understanding of social municipality. In this context, the “Probiotic Product Development, Production and Nutrition Consultancy Project (PROBES)” was implemented. This important project, initiated with the cooperation protocol signed between the Metropolitan Municipality and the Health Sciences University, took a hopeful step by meeting with the families of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Scientific R&D for PROBIOTIC PRODUCTS Has Started
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality has entered a new and important phase in the PROBES project, which is being carried out meticulously to provide individuals diagnosed with ASD with appropriate nutritional habits. With the strong collaboration between the Metropolitan Municipality and the Health Sciences University, scientific R&D studies on probiotic products have officially begun. In this context, a comprehensive training meeting was held in Antikkapı with the families of children diagnosed with ASD in order to provide information about the details and operation of the project.
Valuable Information from Expert Academicians in Their Fields
In this information meeting jointly organized by the Metropolitan Municipality and the Health Sciences University, expert academicians such as Prof. Dr. Şaban Tekin, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsmail Arslan, Assistant Professor Tuğba Köprülü, Expert Microbiologist Leyla Tarhan Çelebi and Bekir Çakıcı from the Health Sciences University provided valuable information to the families of children diagnosed with ASD. Drawing attention to the critical importance of nutrition in the diagnosis of ASD, the academicians emphasized that the main purpose of the project is to help children gain appropriate eating habits and regulate their intestinal systems. In this project, which will be carried out especially with children under the age of 10, the children's nutritional monitoring will be carried out with the expertise of the Health Sciences University.
Microbiome Test Kits Distributed to Families
Following the training meeting, families were informed in detail about the project’s progress and microbiome test kits were distributed for this important study, which will last approximately one year. These test kits, which will be collected from families, will be meticulously examined in the expert laboratories of the Health Sciences University. In this way, the individual conditions of children with autism will be evaluated in light of scientific data during the project and personalized approaches will be developed. Families, who will be closely monitored by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and Health Sciences University throughout the project, will be able to benefit from this valuable service completely free of charge, regardless of their economic situation.
Metropolitan Municipality Identifies Families in the Field
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality is actively conducting field studies to meticulously identify suitable families that can take part in the PROBES project. The Metropolitan Municipality, which has undertaken the task of identifying individuals who can be included in the project and informing the families, has supported the participation of 27 families in the project in the first phase. The Metropolitan Municipality also provides the necessary test kits to these families who are deemed suitable, free of charge. In addition, the Metropolitan Municipality mediates the establishment of healthy and effective communication between the families and the Health Sciences University. The PROBES project, which is coordinated by the Health and Social Services Department Disability and Elderly Services Branch Directorate, continues to provide significant support to families struggling with “Autism Spectrum Disorder” in Kocaeli.
What is PROBE?
Probiotic Product Development, Production and Nutrition Consultancy Project (PROBES) is a comprehensive project implemented in partnership with Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and Health Sciences University with the aim of providing appropriate nutritional habits to individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Kocaeli. Within the scope of the project, scientific R&D studies are carried out for probiotic products that can help regulate the intestinal microbiota of individuals with autism, and individuals diagnosed with autism who can be included in the project are being identified through field studies of the Metropolitan Municipality.
