Changes of intestinal microbiota in early life

Abstract

There is an increasing evidence that the intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in the maturation of the immune system and in the prevention of diseases occurring during the neonatal period, childhood, and adulthood. A number of nonphysiological conditions during the perinatal period (i.e. caesarean section, prolonged hospitalization, formula feeding, low gestational age) may negatively affect the normal development of the microbiota, leading to decreased amounts of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria and increased amounts of Clostridia. In addition, perinatal antibiotics can cause intestinal dysbiosis that has been associated with short- and long-term diseases. For example, prolonged early empiric antibiotics increase the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm neonates, whereas the administration of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) has been associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity, and atopic conditions, such as eczema and wheezing. Promoting breastfeeding, reducing the length of hospital stay, and reducing unnecessary antibiotic therapies are useful strategies to counterbalance unintended effects of these conditions.

Modulation of Nerve Cell Differentiation: Role of Polyphenols and of Contactin Family Components

“…However, a further relevant aspect arising from the present study concerns the consequences of Contactin/Notch interactions in modulating the effects of the nutritional input, which may still depend upon the activation of specific signaling pathway. It is well known that the mother’s diet influences fetal and in particular neural development through components of the intestinal microbiota which, in turn, may prevent disease outcome and, in particular, neurological disorders, even including autism (Macpherson et al, 2017; Ficara et al, 2018; Roman et al, 2018). Therefore, a relevant aspect of the present study concerns the role of Notch receptors and of the associated signaling pathway in modulating the effects of the nutritional input (Mori et al, 2017, 2018).…”

The Italian arm of the PREPARE study: an international project to evaluate and license a maternal vaccine against group B streptococcus

“…Furthermore, the burden of invasive GBS disease may be high in resource poor countries such as Africa (estimated incidence of 1.12/1000 live births) where IAP implementation is challenging [ 5 ]. Concerns have arisen as to the possible negative impact of large-scale prevention, as IAP may promote the emergence of antibiotic resistance, and early exposure to antibiotics can disrupt the development of the intestinal microbiome, with consequences in adulthood [ 6 ]. Finally, IAP has no impact on LOD, stillbirths and prematurity due to GBS, as well as a limited impact on disease in pregnant women [ 7 ].…”

Potential Elimination of Human Gut Resistome by Exploiting the Benefits of Functional Foods

“…In contrast to previous beliefs that newborns were free of bacteria, it is now a proven fact that bacteria are present in the endometrium, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord, and meconium (Amenyogbe et al, 2017), and different environmental factors, such as the delivery mode (cesarean or vaginal), feeding style (breastfeeding or formula), gestational age, administration of probiotics or prebiotics, diet, exercise, geography, genetics, and air pollution are the most pivotal determinants for gut microbiota modifications that lead to the development of a mature and healthy gut (Bezirtzoglou and Stavropoulou, 2011;Koren et al, 2013;Tanaka and Nakayama, 2017;Thursby and Juge, 2017;Angelakis and Raoult, 2018;Avelar Rodriguez et al, 2018;Ficara et al, 2018;Leoni et al, 2019). It's quite controversial whether the human placenta includes microbes.…”