Intestinal microbiota during early life – impact on health and disease

Abstract

In the first years after birth, the intestinal microbiota develops rapidly both in diversity and complexity while being relatively stable in healthy adults. Different life-style-related factors as well as medical practices have an influence on the early-life intestinal colonisation. We address the impact of some of these factors on the consecutive microbiota development and later health. An overview is presented of the microbial colonisation steps and the role of the host in that process. Moreover, new early biomarkers are discussed with examples that include the association of microbiota and atopic diseases, the correlation of colic and early development and the impact of the use of antibiotics in early life. Our understanding of the development and function of the intestinal microbiota is constantly improving but the long-term influence of early-life microbiota on later life health deserves careful clinical studies.Microbiota development: Human milk oligosaccharides: Weaning: Biomarker bacteria:Allergy and atopic diseases: Colic: Antibiotics

Discordant temporal development of bacterial phyla and the emergence of core in the fecal microbiota of young children

“…However, the levels were not compared with those in adults (Bergström et al, 2014). BF is known to be one of the major factors affecting microbiota composition in infants and supports the bifidobacterial population in particular (Nylund et al, 2014). In our cohort, the time interval between the cessation of BF and the baseline sampling was on average 21 months.…”

“…Therefore, it could be hypothesized that the western lifestyle may affect the diversification of intestinal microbiota. A number of factors, including overly hygienic conditions, diet and the use of antibiotics, are known to impact microbiota development in infants (Rautava et al, 2012;Nylund et al, 2014). We presume that the children in this study develop a more diverse microbiota later in life; however, at the same time we cannot exclude the possibility that their Figure 5 The development of stability of phylum-level groups in 1-to 5-year-old children.…”

“…Furthermore, reduced diversity and Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio is associated with obesity (Ley et al, 2006;Turnbaugh and Gordon, 2009;Verdam et al, 2013). Importantly, aberrancies in earlylife microbiota development may impact the health status also later in life (Rautava et al, 2012;Nylund et al, 2014). For example, low levels of bifidobacteria in infancy may predispose to overweight at the age of 7 years (Kalliomäki et al, 2008).…”

“…The microbiota development is affected by a number of factors including genetics, mode of delivery and gestational age, antibiotic usage, breast feeding (BF)/formula feeding and long-term diet after weaning (Penders et al, 2006;Grönlund et al, 2007;Dominguez-Bello et al, 2010;Ladirat et al, 2013;Azad et al, 2014;Nylund et al, 2014;Olivares et al, 2014;Voreades et al, 2014). During the colonization process, facultative anaerobic bacteria, such as Enterobacteria, are gradually replaced by anaerobic bacteria, such as the genera Bifidobacterium, Clostridium and Bacteroides (Weber and Polanco, 2012;Matamoros et al, 2013;Arrieta et al, 2014).…”

“…Several studies have reported that the microbiota starts to resemble adult-like microbiota within 2-3 years after birth (Koenig et al, 2011;Yatsunenko et al, 2012;Bergström et al, 2014), but differences in the bacterial community structure and diversity still exist between toddlers and adults (Ringel-Kulka et al, 2013). It is still not known at what age the individual-specific adult-like microbiota profile is established (Koenig et al, 2011;Bergström et al, 2014;Nylund et al, 2014). Therefore, the dynamics of microbiota development as well as the 'normal course' of microbiota development after infancy are still poorly understood.…”