A recent study published in Environment International examined how early life factors influence the composition of gut microflora in infants. Researchers in Finland utilized high-throughput sequencing and assessed various levels of residential greenery. They discovered that green environments play a significant role in promoting gut diversity, particularly during early infancy. However, this relationship was mainly relevant to alpha diversity, which measures the richness and variety of species, rather than the overall microbial community composition. Interestingly, no link was found between proximity to green spaces and gut flora during late infancy. Instead, the amount of time spent outdoors appeared to have a more substantial impact. Additionally, factors such as the mode of birth and having siblings significantly influenced infant gut diversity.
These findings provide valuable insights for pediatricians and parents about how seemingly unrelated factors can profoundly affect children’s long-term health.
Background
The rising prevalence of chronic, non-communicable diseases worldwide is partly linked to environmental influences and lifestyle choices affecting gut health. Research suggests that a healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet, can improve gut diversity and composition.
While dietary improvements can benefit gut health in the present, the foundations for lifelong gut health are often established at birth. The initial gut microbiome, mainly derived from the mother’s placenta, can vary significantly due to environmental factors in early infancy. This variation sets the stage for future gut health.
Most existing research on gut microflora focuses on adults, with few studies examining infants. Those that do often concentrate on single factors, such as birth mode or the presence of pets, rather than considering multiple influences.
About the Study
The study aimed to achieve three goals:
To explore how gut flora matures during infancy.
To identify environmental factors that affect microbial composition in early and late infancy.
To assess the relationship between residential greenery and infant gut health.
Researchers collected data from the Steps to Healthy Development of Children (STEPS), a longitudinal cohort involving Finnish and Swedish mothers who gave birth between 2008 and 2010 at a hospital in Southwest Finland. The analysis focused on an intensive follow-up group from this cohort of 14,946 infants. Participants were categorized into early (0.5-5 months) and late (11-17 months) subgroups. Data included socioeconomic and medical records, as well as 1,823 fecal samples for gut microbiota analysis. DNA was extracted from these samples using Qiagen protocols and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform.
The study also collected early life factors, such as birth type and breastfeeding status, from health records and parental questionnaires. Residential greenery was measured using geographic information systems data.
Study Findings
The infant cohort included 892 early and 931 late infants, with a majority being boys and 46% having older siblings. Most households were in urban areas, but many had moderate to high vegetation cover. The study found that 11% of infants were born via cesarean section, and about 10% received antibiotics shortly after birth.
Age was a significant factor influencing gut microbial composition. The early cohort showed a higher diversity of Actinobacteriota (54%), while the late cohort was dominated by Firmicutes (59%). Age accounted for around 9% of the overall variation in gut microbiota. This highlights the need for future studies to consider specific age groups in research involving infants.
The analysis indicated that birth mode, sibling presence, and maternal age were key contributors to gut microbial diversity. Other factors like family income, breastfeeding status, and outdoor time also had associations, though they were weaker.
In early infancy, birth mode accounted for 0.5% of the variation in gut microbiota, decreasing to 0.3% in late infancy. The presence of siblings became more influential in late infancy, explaining 0.7% of variability, while increasing gut microbial diversity across both age groups.
Although a link between green environments and gut flora was established, it mainly pertained to alpha diversity during early infancy. Outdoor exposure emerged as a more significant predictor of gut composition in late infancy.
Conclusions
The study identifies critical factors affecting gut microbial diversity in infants. Birth mode, sibling presence, and maternal age were the most influential. Other factors like family income and outdoor time had lesser effects.
The authors concluded, “Associations between residential greenery and gut microbiota alpha diversity were more pronounced in early infancy, indicating a crucial period for environmental influences.” This underscores the importance of understanding the impact of early environmental and familial factors on children’s health.
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