Early-life mother-to-infant seeding and niche-specific development of the infant microbiota is crucial to future health. Birth mode and feeding type are the most defining factors of this processes and are shared between niches. Various auxiliary microbiota seeding pathways, ecological selection of niche-adapted species may occur over the first few weeks of life. In contrast, the gut is from the start gradually colonized with a limited number of specific microbiota, which is governed by diet (that is, breastmilk vs. formula feeding), contrasting the ecologically diverse and mature microbiota of the mother. Researchers conducted a source-tracking study analysis, which involved a broad range of maternal and infant niches (like vaginal, skin, nasopharyngeal microbiome etc), identifying various possible seeding routes. They found that mother-infant microbiota transmission is not limited to the gut and auxiliary pathways may have a major role in initial mother-to-infant seeding.
Link to the article: https://rb.gy/4a6yiy
Published On: 10/03/2023
