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Infant Saliva Microbiome Activity Modulates Nutritional Impacts on Neurodevelopment

Terrah Keck-Kester1, Steven D Hicks1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.

Microorganisms
|August 26, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Microbial activity influences infant neurodevelopment, with fish consumption benefits potentially mediated by gut microbes. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in larger trials.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Neurodevelopment is a complex process influenced by environmental factors, including nutrition, social determinants of health (SDOH), and the microbiome.
  • Understanding how these factors interact is crucial for identifying interventions to support healthy infant development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that microbial activity modulates the effects of nutrition on infant neurodevelopment.
  • To identify specific microbial and nutritional factors associated with neurodevelopmental delay (NDD).

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal cohort study of 142 infants.
  • Salivary microbiome activity measured at 6 months via RNA sequencing.
  • Infant nutrition assessed longitudinally; neurodevelopmental delay (NDD) determined at 18 months using the Survey of Wellbeing in Young Children.

Main Results:

  • A logistic regression model explained 33.3% of the variance in neurodevelopmental groups.
  • NDD was associated with Hispanic ethnicity, no fish consumption, and increased *Candidatus Gracilibacteria* activity.
  • Protective factors included homes built after 1977 and increased *Chlorobi* activity. Microbial alpha diversity modulated the effect of fish consumption on NDD.

Conclusions:

  • The benefits of fish consumption for neurodevelopment may be mediated by microbial diversity.
  • Specific microbial and nutritional factors, alongside SDOH, play a role in infant neurodevelopment.
  • Further confirmation in a larger, randomized trial is required.

Keywords:
microbiomeneurodevelopmentnutritionsaliva

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