How Changes in Maternal Gut Microbiota During Pregnancy Impacts Infant Health

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Highlights:

• Changes in maternal gut microbiota impact metabolic, immunological, and neurological processes in women
• Maternal gut microbiota is crucial for the development of an infant's gut microbiota and immune system
• Changes in maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy are linked to gestational diabetes and preeclampsia

The human gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that play a crucial role in the host's health and well-being. Scientists have now offered a complete summary of the factors impacting maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy and its impact on maternal and newborn health in a research published in the journal Current Opinion in Microbiology.

Pregnancy causes a wide range of hormonal, immunological, and metabolic changes that are required for fetal development. The most noticeable alterations include increased cardiac output, increased numbers of T regulatory cells, and changes in the composition of the gut flora.

‘Maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy plays a crucial role in maternal and newborn health. Learn how hormonal alterations, maternal nutrition, and delivery modes affect gut microbiota and its impact on pregnancy problems such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. #maternalhealth #gutmicrobiota #pregnancyproblems’

Changes in the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota are linked to changes in women's metabolic, immunological, and neurological processes, regardless of pregnancy status. Furthermore, changes in the gut microbiota composition are known to impact insulin sensitivity. Functional and metabolic alterations in the gut microbiota have been seen in children with type 1 diabetes.

Hormonal Alterations during Pregnancy and their Impact on Gut Microbiota and Infant Health

There is limited information to fully explain the changes in gut microbiota during pregnancy and their impact on maternal and foetal health. According to the existing literature, however, low-grade inflammation at the intestinal mucosa and hormonal alterations may be responsible for changes in the gut microbiota during pregnancy.

In terms of hormonal alterations, pregnancy-related increases in progesterone levels have been linked to increased Bifidobacterium levels in women. Bifidobacterium is a helpful bacterium that lives in the intestine naturally. As a result, the transmission of this bacterium from the mother to the newborn via the mother's stomach is critical during the neonatal period. In newborns, this bacterium aids in the degradation of human milk oligosaccharides derived from maternal milk, as well as the development of the infant's gut microbiota and immune system.

Factors Affecting Maternal Gut Microbiota During Pregnancy and Their Impacts on Infants

Many factors can alter adult human gut microbiota, including BMI, drugs, diseases, environment, and lifestyle (diet, physical activity, smoking, and drinking habits). Exposure to these variables before pregnancy can cause structural and functional changes in the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy.

Animal studies have revealed that maternal nutrition changes the composition of the maternal and baby gut microbiota before and throughout pregnancy. The composition and diversity of the maternal gut microbiota have been reported to be altered by both pre-pregnancy body weight and pregnancy-related weight increase.

It has been discovered that the mode of delivery influences the infant's gut microbiome. Infants delivered vaginally, for example, have been demonstrated to have better gut microbiota modifications than those delivered via c-section.

Smoking-related nicotine exposure during pregnancy modifies maternal gut microbiota, which alters foetal exposure levels to circulating short-chain fatty acids and leptin during in-utero development, according to functional investigations in animals.

Certain prenatal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, have been reported to alter the maternal microbiome during pregnancy. Similarly, certain drugs, such as antibiotics, proton-pump inhibitors, metformin, laxatives, and probiotics, have been shown to impact the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy.

Link Between Maternal Gut Microbiota Changes During Pregnancy And Gestational Diabetes and Preeclampsia

According to research, changes in the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy are linked to pregnancy problems such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is the medical name for a natural increase in blood glucose levels during pregnancy. According to research, the start of gestational diabetes is caused by a decrease in the abundance of good bacteria and an increase in the abundance of pathogenic bacteria.

An enhanced abundance of membrane transport, energy metabolism, lipopolysaccharides, and phosphotransferase system pathways has been reported in the microbiome of gestational diabetes patients. Recent research suggests that dopamine deficit in the blood caused by gut microbiota, defective generation of short-chain fatty acids, and increased metabolic inflammation all contribute to the development of gestational diabetes.

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is characterised by pregnancy-related hypertension, proteinuria, and organ dysfunction. Gut microbiota dysbiosis (imbalance in gut microbiota composition) and higher plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide and trimethylamine N-oxide have been identified in studies involving pregnant women with preeclampsia.

Recent research suggests that the start of preeclampsia is connected with decreased bacterial diversity in the gut microbiome. Changes in gut microbiota include a decrease in helpful bacteria and an increase in opportunistic microorganisms.

According to several mechanistic research, gut microbiota dysbiosis causes immunological imbalance and intestinal barrier disruption in pregnant women, resulting in bacteria translocation to the intrauterine cavity, placental inflammation, and impaired placentation. All of these variables lead to the development of preeclampsia.

Effect of Altered Maternal Gut Microbiota on Infant Health

It has been discovered that changes in the maternal gut microbiota affect the neurodevelopment of the foetus by signalling microbially regulated compounds to neurons in the developing brain. These modifications can have a long-term impact on an infant's behaviour.

Maternal microbiota-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, have been shown to influence a baby's metabolic system. There is additional evidence that the maternal gut flora influences an infant's vulnerability to allergy disorders.

Source: Medindia

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