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The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
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A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
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Fetal meconium does not have a detectable microbiota before birth.

Katherine M Kennedy1,2, Max J Gerlach3, Thomas Adam4

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Ontario, Hamilton, Canada.

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|May 11, 2021
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Summary

The fetal gut is sterile before birth. Microbial DNA and cultures in fetal meconium are likely skin contaminants, not true gut colonization. Neonatal meconium reflects microbes acquired after birth.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Neonatal Health
  • Human Microbiome

Background:

  • The timing of human gut microbial colonization is not fully understood.
  • Previous studies suggested bacterial presence in meconium, but samples were collected postnatally.
  • Investigating prenatal gut colonization is crucial for understanding infant development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if bacterial colonization occurs in the fetal gut before birth.
  • To differentiate true fetal gut microbiota from potential contamination.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of fetal meconium collected via rectal swab during cesarean delivery before labor and antibiotics.
  • Comparison with negative controls, first-pass neonatal meconium, and infant stool.
  • Utilized 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and aerobic/anaerobic clinical cultures.

Main Results:

  • No microbial signal distinct from controls was detected in fetal meconium via 16S sequencing.
  • Clinical cultures showed contamination, primarily Staphylococcus epidermidis, in a majority of fetal meconium samples.
  • Sequencing did not consistently detect the same genera found in cultures from fetal meconium.

Conclusions:

  • The healthy term infant fetal gut is sterile before birth.
  • Microbial findings in fetal meconium are likely due to skin contamination during collection.
  • Neonatal meconium microbial profiles originate from exposure during and after birth.