Maternal anthropometric variables and clinical factors shape neonatal microbiome

Riccardo Farinella,Daniele Campa,Armando Cuttano,Federica Gemignani,Massimiliano Ciantelli,Sara Rosati,Antonella Lupetti,Luca Filippi,Arianna Tavanti,Giulia Peduzzi,Alice Bedini,Cristina Tuoni,Daria Bottai,Francesca Moscuzza,Stefano Landi,Cosmeri Rizzato

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06792-6

Riccardo Farinella, Daniele Campa + Show 14 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06792-6

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Abstract

Recent studies indicate the existence of a complex microbiome in the meconium of newborns that plays a key role in regulating many host health-related conditions. However, a high variability between studies has been observed so far. In the present study, the meconium microbiome composition and the predicted microbial metabolic pathways were analysed in a consecutive cohort of 96 full-term newborns. The effect of maternal epidemiological variables on meconium diversity was analysed using regression analysis and PERMANOVA. Meconium microbiome composition mainly included Proteobacteria (30.95%), Bacteroidetes (23.17%) and Firmicutes (17.13%), while for predicted metabolic pathways, the most abundant genes belonged to the class “metabolism”. We observed a significant effect of maternal Rh factor on Shannon and Inverse Simpson indexes (p = 0.045 and p = 0.049 respectively) and a significant effect of delivery mode and maternal antibiotic exposure on Jaccard and Bray–Curtis dissimilarities (p = 0.001 and 0.002 respectively), while gestational age was associated with observed richness and Shannon indexes (p = 0.018 and 0.037 respectively), and Jaccard and Bray–Curtis dissimilarities (p = 0.014 and 0.013 respectively). The association involving maternal Rh phenotype suggests a role for host genetics in shaping meconium microbiome prior to the exposition to the most well-known environmental variables, which will influence microbiome maturation in the newborn.

Highlights

Such as inflammatory bowel disease16, asthma17, allergies[18] and altered immunological development[19,20], and central nervous system d isorders[21]
Since the fetus is exposed to a limited number of stimuli and its development occurs in a relatively homogeneous and stable environment, the neonatal microbiome is characterized by a minor diversity than in a dults[22]
Sequencing results indicated that the Bacteria domain represented the vast majority of the meconium microbiome

Summary

Introduction

Such as inflammatory bowel disease16, asthma17, allergies[18] and altered immunological development[19,20], and central nervous system d isorders[21]. Some factors are thought to influence the microbiome during the prenatal period or during delivery, shaping the microbiome in terms of both abundance and c omposition[2]. Among these factors the most investigated are maternal diet[23], maternal stress[24], maternal antibiotic exposure during pregnancy[25,26], delivery mode[11] and gestational age[27]. Despite increasing evidence on host genetics role in shaping the adult gut microbiome[29], only one small study, conducted on twins, considered the potential effects of genetics on the meconium microbiome diversity and c omposition[30]. The aim of this study was to explore the meconium microbiome composition and the effect of maternal epidemiological factors on alpha and beta diversity indexes, in a homogeneous cohort of consecutively collected newborns

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Conclusion