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The infant microbiome development: mom matters

Noel T Mueller1, Elizabeth Bakacs2, Joan Combellick3

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Human Nutrition and Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.

Trends in Molecular Medicine
|January 13, 2015
PubMed

The infant microbiome plays an essential role in human health and its assembly is determined by maternal-offspring exchanges of microbiota. This process is affected by several practices, including Cesarean section (C-section), perinatal antibiotics, and formula feeding, that have been linked to increased risks of metabolic and immune diseases. Here we review recent knowledge about the impacts on infant microbiome assembly, discuss preventive and restorative strategies to ameliorate the effects of these impacts, and highlight where research is needed to advance this field and improve the health of future generations.

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