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The Association between Delayed Gut Microbiota Maturity in Pre-Term Infants and the Feeding Intolerance-A Pilot Study
Ya-Chi Hsu1, Ming-Chih Lin1, Katharina Ardanareswari2,3
1Division of Neonatology, Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407219, Taiwan.
Insights
Pre-term infants
Area of Science:
- Neonatal microbiome research
- Infant gut health
- Microbiota development
Background:
- The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in infant health and development.
- Premature infants often exhibit altered gut microbiota compared to full-term infants.
- Feeding intolerance is a common complication in preterm infants, potentially impacting gut microbial composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the gut microbiota profiles of preterm infants with and without feeding intolerance to those of full-term infants.
- To investigate the relationship between feeding tolerance and gut microbiota maturation in preterm infants.
- To identify specific microbial patterns associated with feeding intolerance in preterm neonates.
Main Methods:
- Fecal samples were collected weekly from preterm and full-term infants.
- Microbial DNA was extracted and analyzed to determine gut microbiota composition.
- Preterm infants were categorized into feeding tolerance (FT) and feeding intolerance (FI) groups based on intake.
- Statistical analyses were performed to compare microbiota profiles between groups.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in gut microbiota were observed between preterm and full-term infants (p=0.0001).
- Distinct microbiota profiles were found between the FT and FI groups (p=0.0009).
- Full-term infants exhibited greater microbial diversity and higher levels of beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacteriaceae).
- The FT group showed gut microbiota maturation with increased digestion-related bacteria, while the FI group had more pathogens.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants, especially those with feeding intolerance, have significantly different gut microbiota compared to full-term infants.
- Feeding intolerance in preterm infants is associated with delayed gut microbiota maturation and an increase in pathogenic bacteria.
- These findings suggest that gut microbiota development is closely linked to feeding tolerance in preterm neonates.
Abstract:
This study compared gut (fecal) microbiota profiles between pre-term and full-term infants, assuming that pre-term infants without feeding intolerance would have gut microbiota similar to those of full-term infants. A total of 13 pre-term infants (gestational age < 37 weeks, birthweight ≤ 2500 g) and 10 full-term infants were included. The pre-term infants were assigned to the feeding tolerance (FT) group (n = 7) if their daily intake exceeded 100 mL/kg/day at two weeks after birth, or the feeding intolerance (FI) group (n = 6). Microbial DNA from weekly fecal samples was analyzed. The microbiota profiles of the pre-term infants and full-term infants were significantly different (p = 0.0001), as well as the FT and FI groups (p = 0.0009). The full-term group had more diversity, with higher concentrations of facultative anaerobes such as Bifidobacteriaceae and Lactobacteriaceae. The FT group's gut microbiota matured over four weeks, with higher levels of digestion-related bacteria, while the FI group had more pathogens. In the FI group, a significant difference was observed between the first and second weeks, with no significant differences noted between the first week and the third or fourth weeks. The delay in the development of the pre-term infants' gut microbiota may be associated with the FI.
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