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Microbiomes of low birth weight infants differentiate by day 15
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Microbiomes of the gut and mouth in low birth weight infants significantly differentiate 15 days after birth, according to study findings published in mBio.
Low birth weight infants are more susceptible than normal weight infants to invasive infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a vulnerability that may be caused by bacteria in their surroundings. The microbiomes of infants right after birth are undifferentiated and generally similar in the gut and mouth, according to a press release.
The researchers studied changes in the oral, skin and gut microbiomes of low birth weight infants during the first 3 weeks after birth. Although the microbiomes in each site looked similar at the start of observation, they gradually differentiated with time.
Researchers found that oral and gut microbiotas significantly changed in composition 8 to 21 days after birth. The change, according to researchers, was driven by changes in the gut microbiome. Of the three sites, skin had the most adult-like microbiota composition.
Understanding the vulnerability of low birth weight infants can provide insights into how to care for them, study researcher Michael J. Morowitz, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said in the press release.
“Premature infants are unique because they can spend several months in the hospital, where they are exposed to virulent bacteria, they also frequently have antibiotics exposure, and their dietary intake is irregular. That probably affects colonization patterns,” Morowitz said. “The first step [in understanding this] is to define what’s normal for these infants and what’s abnormal.”
Disclosure: See the study for a full list of financial disclosures.
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