What is already known
Preterm birth, affecting 10% of births worldwide, increases the risk of disrupted brain development, which can lead to cerebral palsy, autism and cognitive difficulties. Previous research suggested that the gut microbiota can influence brain development, and preterm infants are known to have an altered microbiota, with lower beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and more harmful ones compared to babies born at term. However, the microbiota’s role in brain development for preterm babies remains unclear.
What this research adds
By analyzing the gut microbiota of 147 newborns, researchers found changes in the gut microbiota of infants born before 32 weeks of gestation. The changes were influenced by factors including delivery mode and antibiotic exposure. Bacteria such as Escherichia/Shigella, Klebsiella and Veillonella were linked to variations in brain microstructure, while the abundance of Bifidobacterium correlated with improved brain growth.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that gut microbiota influences brain development in preterm infants, highlighting potential therapeutic opportunities.
Preterm birth, affecting 10% of births worldwide, increases the risk of disrupted brain development, which can lead to cerebral palsy, autism and cognitive difficulties. Now, a study revealed a link between gut microbiota composition and brain development in preterm infants, suggesting that specific bacteria and their metabolites can influence neurodevelopment.
The findings, published in Cell Reports Medicine, indicate that the gut microbiota is connected to brain development in preterm babies, highlighting potential therapeutic opportunities.
Previous research suggested that gut microbes can influence brain development, and preterm infants are known to have an altered microbiota, with lower beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and more harmful ones compared to babies born at term. But while scientists understand the link between gut microbes and behavior in typical development, the microbiota’s role in brain development for preterm babies remains unclear.
To address this question, researchers led by Kadi Vaher at the University of Edinburgh, UK, analyzed the gut microbiota of 147 newborns, including preterm babies.
Microbial shifts
The researchers found that at birth, preterm babies had fewer types of bacteria in their gut compared to full-term babies. However, the gut bacteria of preterm infants changed during their time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), becoming more diverse and dominated by different types of bacteria.
The composition of the gut microbiota in preterm infants was influenced by many factors, including delivery mode, birthweight and antibiotic exposure.
The team also identified associations between gut microbiota composition and specific features in brain scans of preterm infants, with bacteria such as Escherichia/Shigella, Klebsiella and Veillonella linked to variations in the microstructure of the brain.
Assessing neurodevelopment
The analysis also revealed that certain microbial metabolic pathways, such as those involving tryptophan, propionate and glutamate, were linked to brain development markers in preterm infants, with bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Bifidobacterium playing key roles in these gut-brain interactions.
The findings suggest that the gut microbiota can influence brain development in preterm infants, but more work is needed to confirm these connections and explore therapeutic applications, such as probiotics, for supporting neurodevelopment, the researchers say.
“Our data indicate that assessment of neurodevelopment should be incorporated into future studies of safety and efficacy of probiotics in preterm infants,” they say.
