Topic: Exploring the Infant Microbiome: From Birth to Early Growth and Development

The microbiome refers to the diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria,  viruses, fungi, and other microbes, that inhabit the human body and play a crucial role in  maintaining health. The nascent gut microbiota is established after birth in concert with numerous developmental parameters and its establishment and maturation is a pivotal process affecting host health. Recent research suggests the gut microbiota may correlate with numerous health issues from mental health to obesity and auto-immune response.

During infancy, the establishment and maturation of the gut microbiome are influenced by various factors, such as the mode of delivery (vaginal vs. caesarean section), feeding practices (breastfeeding vs. formula feeding), gestational age and environmental exposures.

Understanding how these factors shape the infant gut microbiome can have significant implications for infant health and disease risk later in life. Delivery mode and antibiotics exert significant and sustained effects on the gut microbiota, reducing certain microbial populations, as well as overall diversity, with such perturbations linked to negative health conditions in developing children. Moreover, the perturbed gut microbiota is known to be a resistance reservoir due to the impact of antibiotic exposure, with health risks including the evolution of antibiotic resistant strains. Furthermore, there are a number of health issues associated with premature birth who are more likely to suffer from health problems, including cerebral palsy, lower IQ, behavioural problems, and respiratory illness. In recent times, the sphere of influence attributed to the microbiota on human health has expanded significantly and the potential contribution of the microbiota to the pathology of these disorders is an important consideration. Technological and computational advances are now enabling researchers to profile the microbiota and the plethora of metabolites in the infant gut, allowing for improved understanding of how gut microbiome function and derived microbial-derived metabolites drive microbiome community structuring and host-microbial interactions.

This Special Issue of Microbiome Research Reports will address relevant and recent information on this topic. We aim to explore the fascinating world of the infant microbiome and its critical role in early growth and development to generate a comprehensive and compiled overview of the biology and interactions between the early human gut microbiota with the host.

The topics that will be explored in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:
1. The role of the maternal microbiome during pregnancy and how it influences the seeding of the infant microbiome;
2. The impact of mode of delivery on the early establishment of the infant microbiome and its potential consequences for child health;
3. The influence of breastfeeding and formula feeding on the composition and function of the infant gut microbiome;
4. How early life exposures, such as diet, antibiotics, and environmental factors, shape the developing gut microbiome in the first years of life and its long term implications for health;
5. The association between the infant microbiome and the development of the immune system, metabolic health and neurodevelopment.

31 Dec 2024