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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota
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Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota

Published on: February 15, 2019

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Catch-Up Weight Gain and Gut Microbiota Development in Full-Term Small for Gestational Age Children During the First

Magdalena Durda-Masny1, Joanna Ciomborowska-Basheer1,2, Norbert Grundmann3

  • 1Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
|January 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) show distinct gut microbiota with higher diversity. Faster weight gain in SGA infants correlated with more mature microbiota, potentially influencing future obesity risk.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Gut microbiota development is dynamic during infancy, paralleling early growth.
  • Understanding microbial colonization patterns in infants is crucial for assessing long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the gut microbiota colonization pattern in full-term small for gestational age (SGA) infants with catch-up weight gain during their first year.
  • To investigate the association between the rate of weight gain and the pace of gut microbiota maturation in SGA infants.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal cohort study of 19 full-term SGA and 46 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants.
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing of stool samples collected throughout the first year of life.
  • Analysis of alpha diversity, beta diversity, taxa abundances, and correlation with body mass measurements.

Main Results:

  • SGA infants exhibited higher alpha diversity compared to AGA infants at most time points.
  • A positive association was found between the Shannon index (microbiota maturation) and the rate of body weight gain in SGA infants (p=0.015).
  • Characteristic genera associated with SGA infants included Citrobacter, Staphylococcus, Blautia, Veillonella, Klebsiella, and Clostridium XIVa.

Conclusions:

  • Full-term SGA infants possess a distinct gut microbiota characterized by higher alpha diversity than their AGA peers.
  • In SGA infants, a more mature microbiota was linked to faster weight gain and an increased abundance of bacteria associated with short-chain fatty acid production and obesity.
  • Early gut microbial development in SGA infants may play a role in the risk of developing overweight and obesity later in life.
Abstract

Keywords:
SGAbody masscatch up growthgut microbiotasmall for gestational age

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