Aberrant microbiota signatures precede symptom development in infantile colic

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Pediatric health
• Gut microbiome development

Background:

• Infantile colic (IC) affects a significant number of infants.
• Understanding the gut microbiome's role in IC is crucial for developing interventions.
• The INCA cohort study provides a longitudinal perspective on infant gut microbiota.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate microbial alterations preceding, during, and after infantile colic (IC).
• To compare gut microbiota development in infants with and without IC.
• To assess the impact of early-life antibiotic exposure on the infant gut microbiome in relation to IC.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study (INCA) including 184 term-born infants, with 30 diagnosed with IC.
• Collection of fecal samples at eight time points from birth to 2 years.
• Analysis of gut microbiota composition using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Main Results:

• Infants with IC exhibited a significantly different gut microbiota composition up to 6 months, with increased Pseudomonadota and decreased Actinomycetota.
• Microbiota alterations were more pronounced in early-onset IC (≤4 weeks) than late-onset IC (≥4 weeks).
• Early-life antibiotic exposure was linked to specific and overlapping genera, including increased Enterococcus and decreased Bifidobacterium.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiota development differs in infants who develop IC, even before symptom onset.
• Early-onset IC shows more distinct microbial profiles compared to late-onset IC.
• Findings suggest potential targets for future prevention and treatment strategies for infantile colic.