The impact of perinatal probiotic intervention on the development of overweight and obesity: follow-up study from birth to 10 years

Abstract

Background: The achievements in combating the increasing trend of overweight and obesity have thus far been inadequate. The recently discovered instrumental role of the gut microbiota in host metabolism may offer a novel target in the prevention and management of obesity. Objective: To evaluate the impact of perinatal probiotic intervention on childhood growth patterns and the development of overweight during a 10-year follow-up. Patients and methods: Altogether 159 women were randomized and double-blinded to receive probiotics (1 Â 10 10 colonyforming units of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, ATCC 53103) or placebo 4 weeks before expected delivery; the intervention extending for 6 months postnatally. Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken at the ages of 3, 6, 12 and 24 months and at 4, 7 and 10 years in 113 (72%) children. Results: The excessive weight gain was detected to be two-parted; the initial phase of excessive weight gain initiating during fetal period and continuing until 24-48 months of age and a second phase of excessive weight gain starting after the age of 24-48 months. The perinatal probiotic intervention appeared to moderate the initial phase of excessive weight gain, especially among children who later became overweight, but not the second phase of excessive weight gain, the impact being most pronounced at the age of 4 years (P ¼ 0.063, analysis of variance for repeated measures). The effect of intervention was also shown as a tendency to reduce the birth-weight-adjusted mean body mass index at the age of 4 years (P ¼ 0.080, analysis of covariance). Conclusions: Early gut microbiota modulation with probiotics may modify the growth pattern of the child by restraining excessive weight gain during the first years of life. This novel observation calls for further epidemiological and clinical trials, with precise data on early growth patterns and on confounding factors influencing weight development.

Gut microbiota: a source of novel tools to reduce the risk of human disease?

“…A recent meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in the prevalence and incidence of atopic eczema in children aged 2-7 y whose mothers received probiotics during pregnancy (74). In line with these observations, a recent finding has shown that perinatal probiotic intervention was able to moderate the excessive weight gain during childhood, the impact being higher at 4 y of life (75). Furthermore, placenta and fetal immune physiology may be modulated by specific probiotic maternal dietary intervention (76) and also, probiotics consumption can modulate the composition of immune molecules such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 present in breast milk (77,78).…”

Use of pigs as a potential model for research into dietary modulation of the human gut microbiota

“…As a probiotic strain, L. rhamnosus applied as a perinatal intervention diminished the initial phase of excessive weight gain in infants (204) , while L. gasseri in fermented milk significantly decreased visceral and subcutaneous fat areas as well as BW of overweight human participants (201) . Potential effects …”

The art of targeting gut microbiota for tackling human obesity

“…The reduction in these measurements was also observed in overweight adults after 12 weeks of intervention with L. gasseri SBT2055 (Kadooka et al 2010). In addition, the perinatal use of L. rhamnosus GG was demonstrated to inhibit excessive weight gain in children during the first years of life (Luoto et al 2010).…”