Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Jan-Feb;65(1):76-88.
doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000133.

The Infant Microbiome: Implications for Infant Health and Neurocognitive Development

Irene Yang  1 , Elizabeth J Corwin, Patricia A Brennan, Sheila Jordan, Jordan R Murphy, Anne Dunlop
Affiliations
Review

The Infant Microbiome: Implications for Infant Health and Neurocognitive Development

Irene Yang et al. Nurs Res. 2016 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Background: Beginning at birth, the microbes in the gut perform essential duties related to the digestion and metabolism of food, the development and activation of the immune system, and the production of neurotransmitters that affect behavior and cognitive function.

Objectives: The objectives of this review are to (a) provide a brief overview of the microbiome and the "microbiome-gut-brain axis"; (b) discuss factors known to affect the composition of the infant microbiome: mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure, and infant-feeding patterns; and (c) present research priorities for nursing science and clinical implications for infant health and neurocognitive development.

Discussion: The gut microbiome influences immunological, endocrine, and neural pathways and plays an important role in infant development. Several factors influence colonization of the infant gut microbiome. Different microbial colonization patterns are associated with vaginal versus surgical birth, exposure to antibiotics, and infant-feeding patterns. Because of extensive physiological influence, infant microbial colonization patterns have the potential to impact physical and neurocognitive development and life course disease risk. Understanding these influences will inform newborn care and parental education.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The gut-brain axis.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Maternal and neonatal factors influencing the development of the infant microbiome.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Timeline of factors influencing the development of the infant gut from birth to three years.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adams MR, Hall CJ. Growth inhibition of food-borne pathogens by lactic and acetic acids and their mixtures. International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 1988;23:287–292.
    1. Adlerberth I, Wold AE. Establishment of the gut microbiota in Western infants. Acta Pædiatrica. 2009;98:229–238. - PubMed
    1. Aloisio I, Mazzola G, Corvaglia LT, Tonti G, Faldella G, Biavati B, Di Gioia D. Influence of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis against group B Streptococcus on the early newborn gut composition and evaluation of the anti-Streptococcus activity of Bifidobacterium strains. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2014;98:6051–6060. - PubMed
    1. Arrieta M-C, Stiemsma LT, Amenyogbe N, Brown EM, Finlay B. The intestinal microbiome in early life: Health and disease. Frontiers in Immunology. 2014;5 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Azad MB, Konya T, Maughan H, Guttman DS, Field CJ, Chari RS, Kozyrskyj AL. Gut microbiota of healthy Canadian infants: Profiles by mode of delivery and infant diet at 4 months. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2013;185:385–394. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances