The relationship between the gut microbiome and the risk of respiratory infections among newborns

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Updated: Sep 4, 2025

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

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Yuka Moroishi1,2, Jiang Gui2, Anne G Hoen1,2

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH USA.

Communications Medicine
|July 18, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Higher infant gut microbial diversity is linked to increased infections and respiratory symptoms in the first year of life. Specific bacteria like Veillonella and Haemophilus influenzae were associated with these outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Infant immunology
  • Pediatric infectious diseases

Background:

  • The developing gut microbiome plays a crucial role in immune maturation and infant health.
  • Prospective studies investigating this link are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between the infant gut microbiome at six weeks of age and the incidence of infections and symptoms during the first year of life.
  • To assess associations between gut microbial diversity and specific infant health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Bacterial 16S rRNA V4-V5 gene sequencing (N=465) and shotgun metagenomics (N=185) were used to characterize the infant gut microbiome.
  • Generalized estimating equations were employed to analyze longitudinal infection and symptom data against microbial diversity and species abundance.

Main Results:

  • Increased alpha diversity in the infant gut microbiome was associated with a higher risk of infections, respiratory symptoms requiring medication, and upper respiratory tract infections.
  • Among vaginally delivered infants, higher alpha diversity correlated with increased all-cause wheezing and physician-reported diarrhea.
  • Specific taxa, including Veillonella species (all deliveries) and Haemophilus influenzae (cesarean-delivered infants), showed positive associations with adverse health outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Infant gut microbial diversity and the abundance of specific taxa in early life may impact susceptibility to respiratory infections, wheezing, and diarrhea.
  • These findings highlight the importance of the early-life microbiome in shaping infant immune responses and health trajectories.
Abstract

Keywords:
BiomarkersEpidemiologyMicrobiomePaediatric research

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