Abstract
BackgroundRecent studies have reported a dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants. Probiotics have been used in an attempt to restore the gut microbiome; however, colonization has been transient, inconsistent among individuals, or has not positively impacted the host’s gut.MethodsThis is a 2-year follow-up study to a randomized controlled trial wherein 7-day-old infants received 1.8 × 1010 colony-forming unit Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) EVC001 (EVC) daily for 21 days or breast milk alone (unsupplemented (UNS)). In the follow-up study, mothers (n = 48) collected infant stool at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months postnatal and completed the health-diet questionnaires.ResultsFecal B. infantis was 2.5–3.5 log units higher at 6–12 months in the EVC group compared with the UNS group (P < 0.01) and this relationship strengthened with the exclusion of infants who consumed infant formula and antibiotics. Infants in the EVC group had significantly higher Bifidobacteriaceae and lower Bacteroidaceae and Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.05). There were no differences in any health conditions between the two groups.ConclusionsProbiotic supplementation with B. infantis within the first month postnatal, in combination with breast milk, resulted in stable colonization that persisted until at least 1 year postnatal.ImpactA dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants is common in resource-rich nations and associated with an increased risk of immune diseases.Probiotics only transiently exist in the gut without persistent colonization or altering the gut microbiome.This is the first study to show that early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis with breast milk results in stable colonization of B. infantis and improvements to the gut microbiome 1 year postnatal.This study addresses a key gap in the literature whereby probiotics can restore the gut microbiome if biologically selected microorganisms are matched with their specific food in an open ecological niche.
Highlights
Human milk delivers a wide spectrum of biologically active molecules that aid in the development and maturation of the gut and the innate and adaptive immune systems and support the growth of protective intestinal microbiota
Probiotic supplementation with B. infantis EVC001 in 7-day-old breastfed infants for 21 consecutive days resulted in a 7-log increase in fecal B. infantis, an
Log[10] CFU B. infantis per g increase in fecal Bifidobacteriaceae by 79%, a decrease in enteropathogens by 80%, an increase in fecal lactate and acetate by 2-fold, a decrease in fecal pH by 1-log,[19] a decrease in antibiotic resistance genes, a sign of reduced enteropathogens known to harbor these genes,[30] a reduction in mucin degradation,[31] and reduced enteric inflammatory markers by several-fold[27] during and 1 month post supplementation. These data demonstrate that the combination of breast milk and B. infantis EVC001 successfully restores the gut microbiome and biochemistry to historical norms observed a century ago.[9]
Summary
Recent studies have reported a dysfunctional gut microbiome in breastfed infants. In the follow-up study, mothers (n = 48) collected infant stool at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months postnatal and completed the health-diet questionnaires. RESULTS: Fecal B. infantis was 2.5–3.5 log units higher at 6–12 months in the EVC group compared with the UNS group (P < 0.01) and this relationship strengthened with the exclusion of infants who consumed infant formula and antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Probiotic supplementation with B. infantis within the first month postnatal, in combination with breast milk, resulted in stable colonization that persisted until at least 1 year postnatal. ● This is the first study to show that early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis with breast milk results in stable colonization of B. infantis and improvements to the gut microbiome 1 year postnatal. ● Probiotics only transiently exist in the gut without persistent colonization or altering the gut microbiome. ● This is the first study to show that early probiotic supplementation with B. infantis with breast milk results in stable colonization of B. infantis and improvements to the gut microbiome 1 year postnatal. ● This study addresses a key gap in the literature whereby probiotics can restore the gut microbiome if biologically selected microorganisms are matched with their specific food in an open ecological niche
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