skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Development of the preterm infant gut microbiome: A research priority

Journal Article · · Microbiome
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3]
  1. Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL (United States)
  2. Morsani College of Medicine, St. Petersburg, FL (United States)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)

The very low birth weight (VLBW) infant is at great risk for marked dysbiosis of the gut microbiome due to multiple factors, including physiological immaturity and prenatal/postnatal influences that disrupt the development of a normal gut flora. However, little is known about the developmental succession of the microbiota in preterm infants as they grow and mature. This review provides a synthesis of our understanding of the normal development of the infant gut microbiome and contrasts this with dysbiotic development in the VLBW infant. The role of human milk in normal gut microbial development is emphasized, along with the role of the gut microbiome in immune development and gastroenteric health. Current research provides evidence that the gut microbiome interacts extensively with many physiological systems and metabolic processes in the developing infant. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are currently no studies prospectively mapping the gut microbiome of VLBW infants through early childhood. This knowledge gap must be filled to inform a healthcare system that can provide for the growth, health, and development of VLBW infants. In conclusion, the study speculates about how the VLBW infants’ gut microbiome might function through host-microbe interactions to contribute to the sequelae of preterm birth, including its influence on growth, development, and general health of the infant host.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1225363
Journal Information:
Microbiome, Vol. 2, Issue 1; ISSN 2049-2618
Publisher:
BioMed CentralCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 162 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (73)

Commensal and probiotic bacteria may prevent NEC by maturing intestinal host defenses journal February 2014
Inflammatory signaling in NEC: Role of NF-κB, cytokines and other inflammatory mediators journal February 2014
Effect of Intestinal Microbial Ecology on the Developing Brain journal April 2013
Antibiotic use and inflammatory bowel diseases in childhood journal October 2010
Meconium Microbiome Analysis Identifies Bacteria Correlated with Premature Birth journal March 2014
Microbes in the neonatal intensive care unit resemble those found in the gut of premature infants journal January 2014
Pediatric Fecal Microbiota Harbor Diverse and Novel Antibiotic Resistance Genes journal November 2013
Toward Effective Probiotics for Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders journal December 2013
The Human Microbiome Project journal October 2007
Reciprocal interactions of the intestinal microbiota and immune system journal September 2012
Development of gut microbiota in infants not exposed to medical interventions: GUT MICROBIOTA IN INFANTS journal October 2010
Immune-directed support of rich microbial communities in the gut has ancient roots journal November 2014
Human milk is a source of lactic acid bacteria for the infant gut journal December 2003
Prenatal or Early-Life Exposure to Antibiotics and Risk of Childhood Asthma: A Systematic Review journal May 2011
Sepsis From the Gut: The Enteric Habitat of Bacteria That Cause Late-Onset Neonatal Bloodstream Infections journal March 2014
Patterned progression of bacterial populations in the premature infant gut journal August 2014
Perinatal and Neonatal Manipulation of the Intestinal Microbiome: A Note of Caution journal June 2007
Gut microbiota of healthy Canadian infants: profiles by mode of delivery and infant diet at 4 months journal February 2013
Antibiotic Exposure by 6 Months and Asthma and Allergy at 6 Years: Findings in a Cohort of 1,401 US Children journal December 2010
Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: the thrifty phenotype hypothesis journal July 1992
The individual-specific and diverse nature of the preterm infant microbiota journal January 2013
Developmental origins of obesity: Early feeding environments, infant growth, and the intestinal microbiome journal February 2012
Delivery mode shapes the acquisition and structure of the initial microbiota across multiple body habitats in newborns journal June 2010
The role of gut microbiota in programming the immune phenotype journal January 2013
Is delivery by cesarean section a risk factor for food allergy? journal August 2003
Prevalence and Neonatal Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Preterm Infants journal January 2014
Development of the Human Infant Intestinal Microbiota journal June 2007
Mechanisms of gut barrier failure in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis: Toll-like receptors throw the switch journal May 2013
Secretory antibodies in breast milk promote long-term intestinal homeostasis by regulating the gut microbiota and host gene expression journal February 2014
Effect of mother’s weight on infant’s microbiota acquisition, composition, and activity during early infancy: a prospective follow-up study initiated in early pregnancy journal September 2010
Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Extremely Preterm Infants at 2.5 Years After Active Perinatal Care in Sweden journal May 2013
Differences in gut microbiota composition between obese and lean children: a cross-sectional study journal January 2013
Neonatal cerebral morphometry and later risk of persistent inattention/hyperactivity in children born very preterm journal January 2014
The microbiome-gut-brain axis: from bowel to behavior: From bowel to behavior journal February 2011
More than just a gut instinct–the potential interplay between a baby's nutrition, its gut microbiome, and the epigenome journal June 2013
Microbiota profile in feces of breast- and formula-fed newborns by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) journal December 2011
The gastrointestinal mucus system in health and disease journal March 2013
The Enterocyte-Associated Intestinal Microbiota of Breast-Fed Infants and Adults Responds Differently to a TNF-α-Mediated Pro-Inflammatory Stimulus journal November 2013
Neurologic and Developmental Disability After Extremely Preterm Birth journal January 2001
Genomes of Microbes Inhabiting the Body Offer Clues to Human Health and Disease journal April 2013
Health, Nutrition, and Cost Outcomes of Human Milk Feedings for Very Low Birthweight Infants journal November 2013
Dynamics and Clinical Evolution of Bacterial Gut Microflora in Extremely Premature Patients journal March 2011
Interactions Between the Microbiota and the Immune System journal June 2012
Lipopolysaccharide and soluble CD14 in cord blood plasma are associated with prematurity and chorioamnionitis journal October 2013
Is meconium from healthy newborns actually sterile? journal April 2008
Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: the thrifty phenotype hypothesis journal October 2013
Transfer of Intestinal Microbiota From Lean Donors Increases Insulin Sensitivity in Individuals With Metabolic Syndrome journal October 2012
Establishment of the gut microbiota in Western infants: Establishment of the gut microbiota in Western infants journal January 2009
Catch-up Growth During Childhood Among Very Low-Birth-Weight Children journal November 1996
The human gut microbiota: a dynamic interplay with the host from birth to senescence settled during childhood journal April 2014
Role of the Microbiome in Energy Regulation and Metabolism journal May 2014
Lacto- N -Tetraose, Fucosylation, and Secretor Status Are Highly Variable in Human Milk Oligosaccharides From Women Delivering Preterm journal August 2012
Preterm Infant Linear Growth and Adiposity Gain: Trade-Offs for Later Weight Status and Intelligence Quotient journal December 2013
Genome resolved analysis of a premature infant gut microbial community reveals a Varibaculum cambriense genome and a shift towards fermentation-based metabolism during the third week of life journal January 2013
Neurologic and Developmental Disability after Extremely Preterm Birth journal August 2000
Human milk: a source of more life than we imagine journal March 2013
Human gut microbiome viewed across age and geography journal May 2012
The Intestinal Microbiota and Viral Susceptibility journal January 2011
Effect of Breast and Formula Feeding on Gut Microbiota Shaping in Newborns journal January 2012
The human microbiome: at the interface of health and disease journal March 2012
Influences of microbiota on intestinal immune system development journal May 1999
Human milk oligosaccharides: prebiotics and beyond journal November 2009
Multi-Faceted Functions of Secretory IgA at Mucosal Surfaces journal January 2013
Antibiotic treatment during infancy and increased body mass index in boys: an international cross-sectional study journal November 2013
Neuro-Immune Abnormalities in Autism and Their Relationship with the Environment: A Variable Insult Model for Autism journal March 2014
Fecal microbiota imbalance in Mexican children with type 1 diabetes journal January 2014
Trajectories of Growth among Children Who Have Coronary Events as Adults journal October 2005
Additional maternal and nonmaternal factors contribute to microbiota shaping in newborns journal September 2010
The role of microbes and autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric illness journal January 2013
Prebiotic Oligosaccharides in Premature Infants journal January 2014
The neonatal bowel microbiome in health and infection journal January 2014
Gastrointestinal flora and gastrointestinal status in children with autism – comparisons to typical children and correlation with autism severity journal March 2011
The Role of Microbes in Developmental Immunologic Programming journal June 2011

Cited By (69)

Current evidence linking diet to gut microbiota and brain development and function journal April 2018
Influenza Transmission in the Mother-Infant Dyad Leads to Severe Disease, Mammary Gland Infection, and Pathogenesis by Regulating Host Responses journal October 2015
Gut Microbiota: A Potential Regulator of Neurodevelopment journal February 2017
Optimisation of 16S rRNA gut microbiota profiling of extremely low birth weight infants journal November 2017
Evolution of gut microbiota composition from birth to 24 weeks in the INFANTMET Cohort journal January 2017
Factors Affecting Gastrointestinal Microbiome Development in Neonates journal February 2018
The impact of preterm adversity on cardiorespiratory function journal December 2019
A reverse metabolic approach to weaning: in silico identification of immune-beneficial infant gut bacteria, mining their metabolism for prebiotic feeds and sourcing these feeds in the natural product space journal September 2018
Factors affecting the composition of the gut microbiota, and its modulation journal January 2019
Empiric antibiotic regimens for neonatal sepsis in Australian and New Zealand neonatal intensive care units: Antibiotic regimens for neonatal sepsis journal April 2017
Metaproteomics reveals functional differences in intestinal microbiota development of preterm infants journal July 2017
Microbial metaproteomics for characterizing the range of metabolic functions and activities of human gut microbiota journal May 2015
Disruptions of the intestinal microbiome in necrotizing enterocolitis, short bowel syndrome, and Hirschsprung’s associated enterocolitis journal October 2015
Association between extrauterine growth restriction and changes of intestinal flora in Chinese preterm infants journal March 2019
Development and Function of the Intestinal Microbiome and Potential Implications for Pig Production journal February 2019
Volatile Organic Compounds of Decaying Piglet Cadavers Perceived by Nicrophorus vespilloides journal July 2016
Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on the Gut Microbiota and Antibiotic Resistome Development in Preterm Infants journal November 2018
Early exposure to antibiotics in the neonatal intensive care unit alters the taxonomic and functional infant gut microbiome journal November 2019
A Systematic Review of the Interaction Between Gut Microbiota and Host Health from a Symbiotic Perspective journal December 2018
Perinatal factors affect the gut microbiota up to four years after birth journal April 2019
Gut microbiota and the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates journal February 2016
Preterm infants with necrotising enterocolitis demonstrate an unbalanced gut microbiota journal October 2017
Human microbiomes and their roles in dysbiosis, common diseases, and novel therapeutic approaches journal October 2015
Birth mode is associated with earliest strain-conferred gut microbiome functions and immunostimulatory potential journal November 2018
Rate of establishing the gut microbiota in infancy has consequences for future health journal August 2015
Impact of nutrition and rotavirus infection on the infant gut microbiota in a humanized pig model journal June 2018
Effects of early life NICU stress on the developing gut microbiome journal January 2019
Exploring the Science behind Bifidobacterium breve M-16V in Infant Health journal July 2019
Gut Microbiome Developmental Patterns in Early Life of Preterm Infants: Impacts of Feeding and Gender journal April 2016
Preterm infant gut microbiota affects intestinal epithelial development in a humanized microbiome gnotobiotic mouse model journal September 2016
Persistent Interactions with Bacterial Symbionts Direct Mature-Host Cell Morphology and Gene Expression in the Squid-Vibrio Symbiosis journal October 2018
The developing gut microbiota and its consequences for health journal March 2018
Changes of intestinal microbiota in early life journal September 2018
Complete genome sequence of acetate-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae L5-2 isolated from infant feces journal February 2019
Antibiotic resistance potential of the healthy preterm infant gut microbiome journal January 2017
Bacterial microbiome of breast milk and child saliva from low-income Mexican-American women and children journal January 2016
Developmental dynamics of the preterm infant gut microbiota and antibiotic resistome journal March 2016
The developing premature infant gut microbiome is a major factor shaping the microbiome of neonatal intensive care unit rooms journal June 2018
Commensal Propionibacterium strain UF1 mitigates intestinal inflammation via Th17 cell regulation journal September 2017
Genome-resolved metaproteomic characterization of preterm infant gut microbiota development reveals species-specific metabolic shifts and variabilities during early life journal July 2017
Impact of prematurity and nutrition on the developing gut microbiome and preterm infant growth journal December 2017
Forensic analysis of the microbiome of phones and shoes journal May 2015
Changes of intestinal microbiota composition and diversity in very low birth weight infants related to strategies of NEC prophylaxis: protocol for an observational multicentre pilot study journal November 2017
The Human Neonatal Gut Microbiome: A Brief Review journal March 2015
Neonatal intestinal immune regulation by the commensal bacterium, P. UF1 journal January 2019
Strain-resolved analysis of hospital rooms and infants reveals overlap between the human and room microbiome journal November 2017
Impact of Postnatal Antibiotics and Parenteral Nutrition on the Gut Microbiota in Preterm Infants During Early Life journal August 2019
Common Genetic Variants Link the Abnormalities in the Gut-Brain Axis in Prematurity and Autism journal August 2018
Role of HIV exposure and infection in relation to neonatal GBS disease and rectovaginal GBS carriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis journal October 2017
Winging it: maternal perspectives and experiences of breastfeeding newborns with complex congenital surgical anomalies journal February 2018
Evidence for persistent and shared bacterial strains against a background of largely unique gut colonization in hospitalized premature infants journal June 2016
Lactation and Intestinal Microbiota: How Early Diet Shapes the Infant Gut journal July 2015
Composition of gut microbiota in infants in China and global comparison journal November 2016
Dichotomous development of the gut microbiome in preterm infants journal September 2018
Influence of a Serratia marcescens outbreak on the gut microbiota establishment process in low-weight preterm neonates journal May 2019
Effects of human milk fortifier properties on intrinsic probiotic bacteria journal February 2020
The Evolving Microbiome from Pregnancy to Early Infancy: A Comprehensive Review journal January 2020
A wake-up call: persistent barriers to the provision of evidence-based lactation support and education in the NICU journal June 2018
Lactobacillus acidophilus/Bifidobacterium infantis probiotics are associated with increased growth of VLBWI among those exposed to antibiotics journal July 2017
Serum bile acids in term and preterm neonates journal November 2016
The Infant Microbiome journal January 2016
Administration of Non-Absorbable Antibiotics to Pregnant Mice to Perturb the Maternal Gut Microbiota Is Associated with Alterations in Offspring Behavior journal January 2016
Allergic diseases among children: nutritional prevention and intervention journal March 2016
The Preterm Gut Microbiota: An Inconspicuous Challenge in Nutritional Neonatal Care journal April 2019
Gut Mucosal and Fecal Microbiota Profiling Combined to Intestinal Immune System in Neonates Affected by Intestinal Ischemic Injuries journal February 2020
Strain-resolved microbial community proteomics reveals simultaneous aerobic and anaerobic function during gastrointestinal tract colonization of a preterm infant journal July 2015
What Pediatricians Should Know Before Studying Gut Microbiota journal August 2019
Imbalance of Fecal Microbiota at Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes in Chinese Children journal June 2016
Diet: Microbiota Interaction in the Gut-Focus on Amino Acid Metabolism text January 2016