Infant gut microbiota is often altered by early-life factors such as maternal antibiotic consumption and mode of birth.
Following promising developments in their research, APC Microbiome Ireland and International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF), a US corporation, have announced a four-year extension of their study on infant gut bacteria.
The ‘Missing Microbes in Infants born by C-section’ project – or Mimic for short – studies the missing or depleted gut bacteria in infants born via C-section, or those who have been exposed to antibiotics.
The study, which aims to develop microbiome-based solutions to benefit infant health, is a partnership between APC, a Research Ireland centre at University College Cork (UCC), Teagasc and IFF.
It is led by APC researcher Prof Catherine Stanton and the centre’s director Prof Paul Ross, as well as Prof Eugene Dempsey, a consultant neonatologist at Cork University Maternity Hospital and a researcher with the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (Infant) based at the university.
Since beginning in 2017, it has already recruited 500 mother-infant pairs to investigate the effects of maternal antibiotics during pregnancy as well as the mode of birth – vaginal or C-section – on the infants’ gut bacteria over the first two years of their life. Infant gut microbiota is often altered by these early-life factors.
Extending this, the Mimic follow-up study will continue to observe the cohort of children, with the analysis extending from the first two years of their lives to five. It will incorporate 400 children from the original Mimic cohort.
The study will also include participants from a separate APC study on preterm infants called Pimento (Preterm Infants: Microbiome Establishment, Neuro-CrossTalk and Origins).
Mimic researchers. Image: University College Cork
The continued work will conduct long-term observations on the neurological development, immune health and the metabolic health of the Mimic cohort, expand its sample collection to complete the analysis of microbiome development and characterise microbes to identify those that are missing in C-section-born children.
In addition, advanced statistical and bioinformatics techniques will be used to identify modifiable factors that impact specific bacterial groups involved in immune and brain development.
“The microbiome plays a crucial role in infant health and development, but until recently, the impact of C-section delivery and antibiotic exposure on the gut has been relatively unknown,” said Dr Johanna Maukonen, the global director of clinical innovation and translation at IFF.
“Preliminary results from the initial research on infants up to two years have been promising and we’ve made important progress in identifying potentially missing microbes for this age group. As this groundbreaking study with the APC moves into its next phase with children up to five years, it promises to unlock new opportunities for intervention, ensuring every child has the best start in life,” she added.
“The Mimic follow-up study will provide further insights into the long-lasting effects of early-life microbiome disruptions, which could have profound implications for public health policy and clinical practices,” said Ross.
Stanton, who is a UCC research professor and senior principal research officer at Teagasc, said that the new “critical phase” of the study “will see the infants reach five years old as we chart the relationship between early life microbiota and specifically missing microorganisms as a result of C-section and antibiotics, on a range of health outcomes from atopic disease to neurocognitive development”.
A different APC-led research into the transfer of gut bacteria from mother to infant showed that one type of bacteria called Bifidobacterium are present from early stages in infant guts with a range of health and functional benefits, including reducing the development of allergies and asthma.
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