The Influence of Different Maternal Microbial Communities on the Development of Infant Gut and Oral Microbiota

Abstract

Very few studies have analyzed how the composition of mother’s microbiota affects the development of infant’s gut and oral microbiota during the first months of life. Here, microbiota present in the mothers’ gut, vagina, breast milk, oral cavity, and mammary areola were compared with the gut and oral microbiota of their infants over the first six months following birth. Samples were collected from the aforementioned body sites from seven mothers and nine infants at three different time points over a 6-month period. Each sample was analyzed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The gut microbiota of the infants harbored distinct microbial communities that had low similarity with the various maternal microbiota communities. In contrast, the oral microbiota of the infants exhibited high similarity with the microbiota of the mothers’ breast milk, mammary areola and mouth. These results demonstrate that constant contact between microbial communities increases their similarity. A majority of the operational taxonomic units in infant gut and oral microbiota were also shared with the mothers’ gut and oral communities, respectively. The disparity between the similarity and the proportion of the OTUs shared between infants’ and mothers’ gut microbiota might be related to lower diversity and therefore competition in infants’ gut microbiota.

Composition and maternal origin of the neonatal oral cavity microbiota

“…We found the initial neonatal oral cavity microbiota to be composed primarily of Firmicutes (mostly Lactobacillaceae and Streptococcaceae) followed by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. These findings were in line with previous literature showing the neonatal oral cavity microbiota mainly to consist of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Propionibacterium [9,32]. The neonatal oral cavity microbiota composition has previously been reported to be highly variable and significantly affected by the birth mode [8,10,33,34].…”

“…Vaginally born neonates have been observed to exhibit higher levels of Streptococcus salivarius, Lactobacillus curvata, Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus casei when compared to neonates born by caesarean section [35]. However, this finding has not been corroborated in subsequent studies [9,32] and we did not observe significant differences in the initial oral cavity microbiota composition related to the birth mode. Nonetheless, in line with the report from Nelun Barfod [35] et al, Firmicutes and Lactobacillaceae appeared to be more abundant in vaginally delivered neonates' oral cavity samples.…”

Mycobiome Profiles in Breast Milk from Healthy Women Depend on Mode of Delivery, Geographic Location, and Interaction with Bacteria

“…However, its potential importance for human health and disease has stimulated an increased interest in this field (5)(6)(7)10). In the infant, fungal species can be detected very early in life (10,11,13). However, the infant mycobiome is almost unexplored, and information about its development is scarce.…”

“…Although information about fungal communities in the infant is generally lacking, there is evidence that fungal species (mainly yeast-like species) can be found in the gut early in life (9)(10)(11). A few reports have documented fungal transfer from mothers to infants, but little is known about how the mycobiome is shaped during this period (12)(13)(14). Recent prospective studies have revealed that altered gut mycobial patterns precede atopic wheeze and asthma development and have suggested fungal-bacterial interactions that would influence early-life patterns of microbial alpha diversity (15,16).…”

The oral microbiome – friend or foe?

“…The initial colonizers of the oral cavity of newborns are acquired from the birth canal, the breast milk, and the mouth of the mother. These initial colonizers include bacteria, such as lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and streptococci, which are stimulated in growth by components of mother's milk . Therefore, the method of feeding (breastfeeding or infant formula) affects the infant's oral microbiome.…”