Relationships of the very low birth weight infant microbiome with neurodevelopment at 2 and 4 years of age

Sarkar, Anujit; Prescott, Stephanie; Dutra, Samia Valéria Ozório; Yoo, Ji Youn; Gordon, Jessica; Shaffer, Emily J.; McSkimming, Daniel; Groër, Maureen

doi:10.1002/dev.22317

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The relevance of Bifidobacterium in the neurodevelopment of preterm infants was also suggested in the study by Sarkar et al (7). Stool samples from 24 VLBW infants were collected weekly during their NICU stay, and then at 2 and 4 years of age, to assess the GM establishment in the first years of life.…”

Section: Microbiota-gut-brain Axis and Signaling In Preterm Infantsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Over the last two decades, the impact of the gut microbiota (GM) on host health and physiological processes, including neurodevelopment, has been the subject of increasing research (1)(2)(3)(4). However, only few studies have explored the relationship between GM assembly, brain growth, and neurodevelopment in preterm infants (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). As a result of continuous improvements in neonatal intensive care, the mortality rate of extremely preterm infants [i.e., those with a gestational age (GA) of less than 28 weeks] has dramatically decreased over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Early-life gut microbiota and neurodevelopment in preterm infants: a narrative review

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Infants born preterm are at a high risk of both gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis and neurodevelopmental impairment. While the link between early dysbiosis and short-term clinical outcomes is well established, the relationship with long-term infant health has only recently gained interest. Notably, there is a significant overlap in the developmental windows of GM and the nervous system in early life. The connection between GM and neurodevelopment was first described in animal models, but over the last decade a growing body of research has also identified GM features as one of the potential mediators for human neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the developing GM in early life and its prospective relationship with neurodevelopment, with a focus on preterm infants. Animal models have provided evidence for emerging pathways linking early-life GM with brain development. Furthermore, a relationship between both dynamic patterns and static features of the GM during preterm infants’ early life and brain maturation, as well as neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood, was documented. Future human studies in larger cohorts, integrated with studies on animal models, may provide additional evidence and help to identify predictive biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for healthy neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

show abstract

Section: Microbiota-gut-brain Axis and Signaling In Preterm Infantsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early-life gut microbiota and neurodevelopment in preterm infants: a narrative review

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…More evidence is available on preterm infants. In 24 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, neurodevelopment was examined by the Battelle Development Inventory-2 Screening Test (BDI-2ST) at 2 and 4 years of age [ 37 ]. Correlations between early microbial diversity and specific microbial amplicon sequence variants and BDI-2ST subscales such as cognition, adaptive behavior, and communication were observed, even after adjusting for gestational age, birth weight, and antibiotic exposure.…”

Section: Impact Of Gut Microbiota During Critical Windows Of Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome and its impact on fetal and neonatal brain development: current opinion in pediatrics

Frerichs,

de Meij,

Niemarkt

2024

Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition &Amp; Metabolic Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose of review Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota and its metabolites regulate neurodevelopment and cognitive functioning via a bi-directional communication system known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA). Recent findings The MGBA influences brain development and function via the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, the vagal nerve, immune signaling, bacterial production of neurotransmitters, and microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan derivatives, and bile acids. Animal studies show fetal neurodevelopment is mediated by maternal microbiota derivatives, immune activation, and diet. Furthermore, manipulation of the microbiota during critical windows of development, like antibiotic exposure and fecal microbiota transplantation, can affect cognitive functioning and behavior in mice. Evidence from human studies, particularly in preterm infants, also suggests that a disrupted gut microbiota colonization may negatively affect neurodevelopment. Early microbial signatures were linked to favorable and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Summary The link between the gut microbiota and the brain is evident. Future studies, including experimental studies, larger participant cohort studies with longitudinal analyses of microbes, their metabolites, and neurotransmitters, and randomized controlled trials are warranted to further elucidate the mechanisms of the MGBA. Identification of early, predictive microbial markers could pave the way for the development of novel early microbiota-based intervention strategies, such as targeted probiotics, and vaginal or fecal microbiota transplantation, aimed at improving infant neurodevelopment.

show abstract

“…Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiota of preterm infants is associated with early cognitive and behavioral neurodevelopment (Chen et al, 2023 ; Sarkar et al, 2022 ) and has been identified as a potential biomarker of neurodevelopmental delay in preterm infants (Roze et al, 2020 ). Disruption of the maturation and development of the microbiome has also been linked to a number of fatal diseases in preterm infants, including NEC and late‐onset sepsis (Masi & Stewart, 2019 ; Thanert et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Glial Cells and Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Key roles of glial cells in the encephalopathy of prematurity

Van Steenwinckel,

Bokobza,

Laforge

et al. 2023

Glia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Across the globe, approximately one in 10 babies are born preterm, that is, before 37 weeks of a typical 40 weeks of gestation. Up to 50% of preterm born infants develop brain injury, encephalopathy of prematurity (EoP), that substantially increases their risk for developing lifelong defects in motor skills and domains of learning, memory, emotional regulation, and cognition. We are still severely limited in our abilities to prevent or predict preterm birth. No longer just the “support cells,” we now clearly understand that during development glia are key for building a healthy brain. Glial dysfunction is a hallmark of EoP, notably, microgliosis, astrogliosis, and oligodendrocyte injury. Our knowledge of glial biology during development is exponentially expanding but hasn't developed sufficiently for development of effective neuroregenerative therapies. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge for the roles of glia in infants with EoP and its animal models, and a description of known glial‐cell interactions in the context of EoP, such as the roles for border‐associated macrophages. The field of perinatal medicine is relatively small but has worked passionately to improve our understanding of the etiology of EoP coupled with detailed mechanistic studies of pre‐clinical and human cohorts. A primary finding from this review is that expanding our collaborations with computational biologists, working together to understand the complexity of glial subtypes, glial maturation, and the impacts of EoP in the short and long term will be key to the design of therapies that improve outcomes.

show abstract

Relationships of the very low birth weight infant microbiome with neurodevelopment at 2 and 4 years of age

Cited by 11 publications

References 47 publications

Early-life gut microbiota and neurodevelopment in preterm infants: a narrative review

Early-life gut microbiota and neurodevelopment in preterm infants: a narrative review

Microbiome and its impact on fetal and neonatal brain development: current opinion in pediatrics

Key roles of glial cells in the encephalopathy of prematurity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About