Abstract
The importance of the maternal microbiota in terms of the initial bacterial seeding has previously been highlighted; however, little is currently known about the perinatal factors that could affect it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various delivery-related factors on the intestinal microbiome at delivery time and on post-partum weight retention. Data were collected from mothers (n = 167) during the first four months post-partum. A subset of 100 mothers were selected for the determination of the salivary cortisol concentration and microbiome composition at birth by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The maternal microbiota was classified into two distinct clusters with significant differences in microbial composition and diversity. Maternal microbiota was also significantly influenced by the mode of delivery. Moreover, the salivary cortisol concentration was associated with some maternal microbiota genera and it was significantly higher in the vaginal delivery group (p = 0.003). The vaginal delivery group exhibited lower post-partum weight retention than the C-section (CS) mothers at four months post-partum (p < 0.001). These results support the hypothesis that the mode of delivery as well as the codominant hormonal changes could influence the maternal microbiota and possibly impact maternal weight recovery during the post-partum period.
Highlights
Gestation is a well-orchestrated process that affects all systems of the body, including the human microbiome [1,2]
The characteristics of the participating mothers in the microbiota study presented a median age of 35 years old and showed a pre-gestational body mass index (BMI) of 22.58 kg/m2, which was within the normal weight range (Table 1)
Our results suggest a possible relation between the salivary cortisol concentration and the composition of the maternal gut microbiota at delivery
Summary
Gestation is a well-orchestrated process that affects all systems of the body, including the human microbiome [1,2]. Several authors have compared these changes to those that occur in the case of metabolic syndrome, including insulin sensitivity [7] and an incremental increase in adiposity [8], which lead to sub-clinical inflammation [9]. As the gut microbiota is interconnected with all these processes, its bacterial composition and diversity undergo variations throughout pregnancy [1]. The variations seen in the microbiota during pregnancy tend toward an incremental increase in the presence of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla as well as Nutrients 2020, 12, 1779; doi:10.3390/nu12061779 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients. The fecal transplantation of the gut microbiota from pregnant women during the third trimester of gestation to germ-free mice reproduced the symptoms of metabolic syndrome [10]
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