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Gut microbiota linked to early infant growth
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Early development of gut microbiota in an infant can influence early growth and the likelihood of obesity, according to study results recently published in PLOS Computational Biology.
“We have created a new way of looking at the development of gut microbiota over time and relating this development to health outcomes,” researchers said in a press release. “This is useful to the scientific community as it is difficult to characterize, in a meaningful way, how the gut develops over time.”
The study examined stool samples of 218 babies born between November 2002 and May 2005. Data was collected from infants 4, 10, 30 and 120 days after birth. Researchers developed a method to identify the points and periods in time where detection of specific bacterial groups was associated with an infant’s development.
Researchers found that the detection of Bacteroides species in males at day 30 was associated with reduced growth.
They also found that the detection of Staphylococcus species at day 4 was associated with expected growth of both males and females. Ninety-six percent of males and 91% of females had levels of Staphylococcus species at day 4.
According to researchers, the detection of Escherichia coli from day 4 to day 30 was associated with expected growth in males only; it was detected in 77% of males.
“After applying our new method, we found an indication that the composition of early life gut microbiota may be associated with how fast or slow babies grow in early life, although there is the possibility that factors early in life affect both gut microbiota and how fast the baby grows,” the researchers said.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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