Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and neonatal gut bacterial colonization are associated with cognitive development and gut microbiota composition in pre-school-age offspring

Maria Angela Guzzardi, Thomas H.A. Ederveen, Francesca Rizzo, Alessandro Weisz, Maria Carmen Collado, Filippo Muratori, Gabriele Gross, Wynand Alkema, Patricia Iozzo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Maternal gestational obesity is a risk factor for offspring's neurodevelopment and later neuro-cognitive disorders. Altered gut microbiota composition has been found in patients with neurocognitive disorders, and in relation to maternal metabolic health. We explored the associations between gut microbiota and cognitive development during infancy, and their link with maternal obesity. In groups of children from the Pisa birth Cohort (PISAC), we analysed faecal microbiota composition by 16S rRNA marker gene sequencing of first-pass meconium samples and of faecal samples collected at age 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 months, and its relationship with maternal gestational obesity or diabetes, and with cognitive development, as measured from 6 to 60 months of age by the Griffith's Mental Development Scales. Gut microbiota composition in the first phases of life is dominated by Bifidobacteria (Actinobacteria phylum), with contribution of Escherichia/Shigella and Klebsiella genera (Proteobacteria phylum), whereas Firmicutes beco
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)311-320
Number of pages10
JournalBrain, Behavior, and Immunity
Volume100
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Dec 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • children cognition
  • cognitive development
  • early programming
  • gut microbiota
  • maternal obesity

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