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Updated: Dec 1, 2025
Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Developmental differences in the intestinal microbiota of Chinese 1-year-old infants and 4-year-old children
Min Guo1, Maohua Miao1, Yuezhu Wang2
1NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Insights
The gut microbiota of children significantly changes from age 1 to 4. Key bacterial groups shift, indicating a move towards a more mature gut environment by age four.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Health
- Gut Microbiome Research
Background:
- The gut microbiota composition in children undergoes dynamic changes during early development.
- Understanding these shifts is crucial for assessing gut health and maturation in infants and toddlers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the gut microbiota profiles of 1-year-old and 4-year-old children.
- To identify age-related alterations in bacterial phyla, species, and metabolic functions.
Main Methods:
- Fecal samples were collected from 1- and 4-year-old children.
- High-throughput DNA sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was performed.
Main Results:
- Significant changes in microbiota composition were observed from phylum to species level with age.
- Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria decreased, while Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased, dominating the microbiota in 4-year-olds.
- Bifidobacterium abundance decreased, whereas Akkermansia muciniphila increased significantly (0.14% to 4.25%) in 4-year-olds.
Conclusions:
- The gut microbiota of 4-year-olds shows a more mature profile compared to 1-year-olds.
- Functional shifts in the gut microbiota align with dietary changes, with increased lipid metabolism in older children.
Abstract:
The microbiota profile of children changes with age. To investigate the differences in the gut microbiota profile of 1- and 4-year-old children, we collected fecal samples and sequenced the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene via high-throughput DNA sequencing. From phylum to species level, the microbiota underwent significant changes with age. The abundance of phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria declined with age, whereas phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased with age and dominated the gut microbiota of 4-year-olds. The intestinal environment of children at age four is closer to maturity. Hence, the abundance of Bifidobacterium significantly decreased in the gut of 4-year-olds, whereas Akkermansia muciniphila increased from 0.14% in 1-year-olds to 4.25% in 4-year-olds. The functional change in gut microbiota is consistent with changes in infant food, as microbiota participating in amino acid and vitamin metabolism were enriched in 1-year-olds, whereas microbiota involved in lipid metabolism increased with age.
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