Bridging Microbiota Science and Clinical Practice in Pediatric Healthcare: A National Survey

The human microbiota is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to pediatric and perinatal health. However, little is known about healthcare professionals' preparedness to integrate microbiota-related concepts into routine pediatric and perinatal care. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Italian healthcare professionals involved in pediatric and perinatal care. The questionnaire explored microbiota-related training, self-perceived knowledge, attitudes, clinical practices, microbiota-testing-related approaches, and educational needs. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. Results: A total of 441 participants were included in the final analysis. Participants expressed highly positive attitudes toward the clinical relevance of the microbiota, particularly regarding maternal-fetal programming, neonatal development, preventive medicine, and microbiota education. Self-perceived knowledge was generally higher for basic microbiota concepts and neonatal microbiota development, whereas lower confidence emerged for microbiota-related clinical applications, counseling competencies, and critical interpretation of scientific evidence. Significant variability in microbiota-related knowledge scores emerged across professional backgrounds and healthcare settings (p < 0.001). Previous microbiota-related training was independently associated with higher self-perceived knowledge scores and greater integration of microbiota-oriented approaches into clinical practice. Use of probiotics was reported by 72.6% of participants, whereas microbiota-related diagnostic tests were routinely used by 32.9%. Overall, 91.8% of respondents expressed interest in further microbiota-related education. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals involved in pediatric and perinatal care recognize the growing clinical relevance of microbiota science but report heterogeneous levels of translational preparedness and clinical confidence. Microbiota-related training emerged as a key factor associated with greater preparedness and implementation in clinical practice, highlighting the need for structured multidisciplinary educational pathways and evidence-based integration of microbiome science into pediatric healthcare.