Abstract
Pregnancy is characterized by maternal adaptations that are necessary to create a welcoming and hospitable environment for the fetus. Studies have highlighted how the microbiota modulates several networks in humans through complex molecular interactions and how dysbiosis (defined as quantitative and qualitative alterations of the microbiota communities) is related to human pathologies including gynecological diseases. This review analyzed how maternal uterine, vaginal, and gut microbiomes could impact on fetus health during the gestational period. We evaluated the role of a dysbiotic microbiota in preterm birth, chorioamnionitis, gestational diabetes mellitus and pre-eclampsia. For many years it has been hypothesized that newborns were sterile organisms but in the past few years this paradigm has been questioned through the demonstration of the presence of microbes in the placenta and meconium. In the future, we should go deeper into the concept of in utero colonization to better understand the role of microbiota through the phases of pregnancy. Numerous studies in the literature have already showed interesting results regarding the role of microbiota in pregnancy. This evidence gives us the hope that microbiota modulation could be a novel strategy to reduce the morbidity and mortality related to pregnancy complications in the future.
Highlights
During pregnancy, several adaptations occur in the female organism
Between the first (T1) and third trimester (T3) of pregnancy [28], to support the fetus growth, there is a shift towards communities of microbes implicated in energy production and storage
This study revealed that, in nonpregnant women, vaginal microbiota could be classified into five major types, representing the community state types (CSTs) [44,45]
Summary
Several adaptations occur in the female organism. From fertilization until delivery, the maternal body changes and activates a series of physiological transformations to welcome the new life [1]. Several adjustments in the hemodynamic state [2] and in respiratory, cardiac [3,4], urogenital [5,6] and gastrointestinal systems [7,8]. The microbiota as a component of human bodies is subject to these modifications and at the same time it contributes, through the production of active metabolites, to them. Several niches of our body are colonized by microbes, but the main microbial density could be found on body surfaces that interact with the external environment such as the respiratory, urogenital, and gastrointestinal systems and the skin.
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