Quiz Ref IDWe found that delivery mode was more strongly associated with
infant microbiome composition than was diet at 6 weeks.
Not exact matches
We characterized the intestinal
microbiome of 102 6 - week - old
infants and observed independent associations between stool microbial community
composition, mode of delivery, and feeding method.
Objective To examine the associations of delivery mode and feeding method with
infant intestinal
microbiome composition at approximately 6 weeks of life.
Overall stool
microbiome community
composition was characterized using generalized UniFrac analysis.30 Controlling for the effects of feeding method, delivery mode was strongly associated with
infant gut
microbiome composition (P <.001; Q <.001)(Figure 1A).
We evaluated the associations between the
composition of the 6 - week intestinal
microbiome and both delivery mode and feeding method in 102 full - term, appropriately grown
infants enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study.
To our knowledge, our study was the first to examine the contribution of delivery mode to
infant intestinal
microbiome composition in association with that of another important predictor of
microbiome composition,
infant diet.
Although a few previous studies have found associations between
infant feeding and intestinal
microbiome composition,9 - 12, 14 to our knowledge, none has examined the relative contribution of combination feeding (breast milk and formula) alongside exclusive formula or breastfeeding to overall microbial community
composition.
An emerging body of literature in adults has begun to establish clear associations between gut
microbiome composition and a wide range of health outcomes.1 - 6 In contrast, comparatively little is known about the gut
microbiome in
infants and children, the exposures that shape it, and its lifelong health effects.7 Although limited in their size and scope, a number of studies have established associations between intestinal
microbiome profiles in
infants, delivery mode, and / or breast milk exposure.8 - 15 These factors both have long - term health consequences.
Importance The intestinal
microbiome plays a critical role in
infant development, and delivery mode and feeding method (breast milk vs formula) are determinants of its
composition.
In a previous study of 24 healthy women, vaginal
microbiome composition became less diverse between the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and just before delivery was enriched with Lactobacillus species, likely contributing to vertical transmission of these bacteria during vaginal birth.21 In a study of 10 newborns in Venezuela, within hours of delivery, the intestinal tracts of
infants born vaginally were colonized by Lactobacillus and Prevotella, whereas
infants delivered operatively acquired bacteria present on the mother's skin and the hospital environment, such as Staphylococcus, Proprionibacterium, and Corynebacterium.15 Quiz Ref ID Our findings, based on a large group of 6 - week - old
infants, indicated that Lactobacillus also contributes to the microbial environment of the gut but to a lesser extent than Bifidobacteria, Bacteroides, and Streptococcus.
We observed significant independent associations between the
composition of the
infant gut
microbiome and both delivery mode and feeding method.
Rather, it conveys the subtle and elegant choreography of one part of the human
microbiome: The relationships between the mothers» genetics, the
composition of her breast milk and the development of her
infant's gut microbiota.