Abstract
The colonisation and development of the gut microbiota has been implicated in paediatric metabolic disorders via its powerful effect on host metabolic and immune homeostasis. Here we summarise the evidence from human studies on the early gut microbiota and paediatric overweight and obesity. Manipulation of the early gut microbiota may represent a promising target for countering the burgeoning metabolic disorders in the paediatric population, provided the assembly patterns of microbiota and their health consequences can be decoded. Therefore, in this review, we pay particular attention to the important ecological drivers affecting the community dynamics of the early gut microbiota. We then discuss the knowledge gaps in commonly studied exposures linking the gut microbiota to metabolic disorders, especially regarding maternal factors and antibiotic use. This review also attempts to give directions for future studies aiming to identify predictive and corrective measures for paediatric metabolic disorders based on the gut microbiota.Gut microbiota; Metabolism; Paediatric overweight and obesity; Ecological driver; Dynamics; Infants
Highlights
The collection of bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and eukarya residing in the human intestinal tract, known as the gut microbiota, represents one of the most significant features contributing to physiological inter-individual variability [1]
While these diseases are manifested in later life, they are affected by metabolic programming occurring in early life and may be mitigated or averted via early correction of risk factors [3,4]
We posit a need for novel approaches that enable studying host-microbe dynamics in a community ecology perspective, which can be utilised for devising effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies
Summary
The collection of bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and eukarya residing in the human intestinal tract, known as the gut microbiota, represents one of the most significant features contributing to physiological inter-individual variability [1]. Considerable attention has been given to prevalent diseases at the interface between metabolism and immunity, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While these diseases are manifested in later life, they are affected by metabolic programming occurring in early life and may be mitigated or averted via early correction of risk factors [3,4]. Prospective studies in humans have demonstrated links between deviations in the early life microbiota and paediatric overweight and obesity. We discuss recent advances in understanding the connection between the early-life bacterial gut microbiota and metabolic health in children and adolescents, with a special focus on childhood obesity that has become a global public health crisis in the past decades [9]
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