Gut Health: New Baby Poop Study Mapping newborn Microbiome

Unfortunately for her, this means her children might never know. So let’s bury all this sadness at once by turning a page from history… Getty ImagesScientists have examined over 2,000 samples of baby poo from across the UK to gain a clearer idea of which types of bacteria first colonise newborn guts. Researchers were surprised to find baby poop had three distinct microbiological profiles with various “pioneer bacteria”, with B. breve specifically being abundant among these profiles; preliminary tests suggest it might help babies take full advantage of breast milk nutrition while fighting bugs off more effectively. Early studies published in Nature Microbiology demonstrate the risk that another strain poses, potentially increasing babies’ susceptibility to infection. Evidence indicates that our microbiomes – composed of billions of different bacteria living inside us and colonizing our gut – play an essential role in shaping health outcomes, but there have been few studies investigating how their development initially affects babies in their first few days after birth. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University College London and Birmingham studied stool samples collected from 1,288 infants born at UK hospitals who were under one month old and living within hospitals at birth. Most samples fell into three broad categories with various bacteria predominating each category. B. breve and B. longum bacteria groups were often considered beneficial. Their genetic profiles suggested they can help babies utilise nutrients found in breast milk more effectively; while E. faecalis could sometimes increase risk for infection based on preliminary tests. Wellcome Sanger InstituteB Breve may help newborns make the most out of breast milkMost babies in this study were either fully or partially breastfed for at least part of the first few weeks after birth; however, breastmilk or formula did not appear to impact upon which types of pioneer bacteria settled into their gut, according to researchers. Babies born to mothers given antibiotics during labor had higher chances of having E. faecalis present than babies of other mothers. As it remains uncertain if these microbiota have any long-term health ramifications, and other factors, including mother age and ethnicity as well as how often someone has given birth, also play an essential part in creating their microbiome, further research is ongoing to better understand its effects on children’s long-term wellbeing. Dr Yan Shao from the Wellcome Sanger Institute said: “By analysing high-resolution genomic information from over 1,200 babies, we identified three pioneer bacteria which drive development of gut microbiota, enabling us to group them into infant microbiome profiles.” “Understanding how different ecosystems comprise our microbiome is key in designing effective personalized therapies to promote its wellbeing.” Dr Ruairi Robertson of Queen Mary University London’s lecturer of microbiome science commented on this research project and stated, despite not participating,: ‘This study significantly advances existing knowledge about how the gut microbiome establishes itself during infancy.” “Recent years have witnessed considerable knowledge on how birth mode and breastfeeding impact gut microbiome assembly and its potential implication for common childhood disorders such as asthma and allergies; yet none have resulted in effective microbiome-targeted therapies,” according to researchers at Penn. Prof Louise Kenny of Liverpool University noted that decisions surrounding childbirth and breastfeeding were “complex and individual”, with no universal solution available when selecting appropriate options for all. “Unevidence remains limited on how mode and method of birth influence microbiome development and subsequent health,” stated she. “That is why this research is vital,” she stated. The investigation forms part of Wellcome and Sanger Institute-funded UK Baby Biome study; Dr Trevor Lawley serves on its advisory panel while simultaneously working as co-founder of an adult probiotics company and researcher at Sanger.