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Infant gut microbiota and negative and fear reactivity

Venla Huovinen1, Anna-Katariina Aatsinki1,2, Eeva-Leena Kataja1

  • 1Department of Clinical Medicine, Psychiatry, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.

Development and Psychopathology
|November 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early gut microbiota composition in infants is linked to temperament. Higher gut microbial diversity correlated with increased fear reactivity, and specific microbial differences were observed in boys with negative reactivity.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Developmental psychology
  • Pediatric psychiatry

Background:

  • Gut microbiota composition (GMC) is increasingly linked to neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes.
  • Early GMC has been associated with child temperament, but research remains limited.
  • Understanding these early links may inform interventions for child psychiatric disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between early GMC at 2.5 months and child negative and fear reactivity at 8 and 12 months.
  • To identify potential intermediate phenotypes for later child psychiatric disorders.
  • To explore sex-specific differences in the gut microbiota-temperament relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of stool sample 16S rRNA sequencing for GMC in 330 infants from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.
  • Assessment of negative and fear reactivity using the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB) at 8 months and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (IBQ-R SF) at 12 months.
  • Statistical analysis to determine associations between GMC metrics and temperament assessments.

Main Results:

  • A positive association was found between gut microbial alpha diversity and reported fear reactivity.
  • Differences in microbial community composition were observed based on negative reactivity in boys.
  • Isobutyric acid showed a correlation with observed negative reactivity, though this attenuated in linear models.
  • Several bacterial genera were significantly associated with specific infant temperament traits.

Conclusions:

  • Infant gut microbiota composition is associated with early temperament traits, including fear and negative reactivity.
  • Findings suggest a potential role for the gut microbiome in shaping early behavioral development.
  • This study provides a foundation for future mechanistic research into the gut-brain axis in early childhood.
Abstract

Keywords:
alpha diversitybeta diversityfear reactivitygenus abundancenegative reactivity

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