Influences of gestational diabetes mellitus on the oral microbiota in offspring from birth to 1 month old

Abstract

Background Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) had long-term influences on the health of their children. However, the influences of GDM on the oral microbiota, which was closely related to oral and systemic health in offspring, were less documented. The present study aimed to explore the oral microbiota of neonates born to mothers with GDM is differentially colonized compared with those born to mothers without GDM, and whether any such differences persist to 1 month of age. Methods Oral samples were collected from children of mothers with (n = 20) and without GDM (n = 34) at birth and again at an average age of 1 month. The oral microbiota was characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing (V3-V4). Differences in diversity and composition according to maternal GDM status were assessed, and different metabolic functional pathways and microbial ecological networks were also analyzed. Results Although no significant differences were observed in diversity metrics between GDM and non-GDM groups (P > 0.05), we found significant differences in the taxonomic composition of oral microbiota from phylum to genus level between the two groups, with the GDM group exhibiting less abundance of Veillonella in both “Day 1” (P < 0.001) and “Day 30” (P < 0.05) phases. Metabolic pathways analysis showed that 5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide biosynthesis and inosine-5'-phosphate biosynthesis were enriched in GDM subjects in the “Day 30” phase. Moreover, ecological network analysis revealed apparent differences between GDM and control groups, with the non-GDM group containing more high-degree nodes and microbial interactions compared with the GDM group. Conclusion Maternal GDM was associated with an altered oral microbial composition in neonates, although the distinct difference between GDM and non-GDM groups diminished in infancy. The oral microbiota functions and ecological networks differed dramatically between the two groups, highlighting the importance of maternal GDM status on initial oral microbiota in offspring.

The oral microbiota and gestational diabetes mellitus

“…Studies have shown that when a mother has GDM, the microbiota of her newborns is altered, which is very similar to the change that occurs in the oral microbiota of mothers. Thus, it is hypothesized that the effects of GDM on the maternal microbiota can be vertically transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy ( 26 , 27 ). These differences could have a high impact on children’s lives, as research has shown a link between microbial dysbiosis during childhood and a variety of diseases ( 28 ).…”

Oral Microbiota of Infants in Maternal Gestational Diabetes: A Systematic Review

“…All studies considered women without other clinical conditions than GDM. The type of delivery was declared in only six studies [30][31][32][35][36][37].…”

“…Regarding data on newborns (Table 1), the four studies that analyzed their microbiota found a depletion in Firmicutes and an enrichment in Proteobacteria [30,31,35,36]. All used…”

“…Regarding data on newborns (Table 1), the four studies that analyzed their microbiota found a depletion in Firmicutes and an enrichment in Proteobacteria [30,31,35,36]. All used oral swabs for microbiological analysis and considered data on birth weight and type of delivery.…”

Maternal microbiota and gestational diabetes: impact on infant health

“…Aberrant oral microbial composition in newborn was also linked to maternal GDM [ 161 ] and studies have revealed that the oral microbiome of infants born to mothere with GDM is enriched with specific bacteria, such as Alistipes and Lactobacillus , which are also prevalent in the gut microbiota of women with GDM and are linked to excessive weight gain during pregnancy [ 161 ]. While these variations typically vanish as the child gets older, some studies have found a relationship between maternal GDM and changes in the oral microbiota of neonates [ 162 ]. However, the above studies lack standardization of methodology, are not controlled for confounding variables and other factors that could affect the results.…”