1. Association Between Breast Milk Bacterial Communities and Establishment and Development of the Infant Gut Microbiome
- Author
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Pannaraj, Pia S, Li, Fan, Cerini, Chiara, Bender, Jeffrey M, Yang, Shangxin, Rollie, Adrienne, Adisetiyo, Helty, Zabih, Sara, Lincez, Pamela J, Bittinger, Kyle, Bailey, Aubrey, Bushman, Frederic D, Sleasman, John W, and Aldrovandi, Grace M
- Subjects
Nutrition ,Prevention ,Pediatric ,Genetics ,Clinical Research ,2.2 Factors relating to the physical environment ,Aetiology ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Breast Feeding ,Feces ,Female ,Gastrointestinal Microbiome ,Humans ,Infant ,Infant ,Newborn ,Longitudinal Studies ,Male ,Milk ,Human ,Mothers ,Nipples ,Phylogeny ,Prospective Studies ,Sequence Analysis ,RNA ,Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine ,Pediatrics - Abstract
ImportanceEstablishment of the infant microbiome has lifelong implications on health and immunity. Gut microbiota of breastfed compared with nonbreastfed individuals differ during infancy as well as into adulthood. Breast milk contains a diverse population of bacteria, but little is known about the vertical transfer of bacteria from mother to infant by breastfeeding.ObjectiveTo determine the association between the maternal breast milk and areolar skin and infant gut bacterial communities.Design, setting, and participantsIn a prospective, longitudinal study, bacterial composition was identified with sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene in breast milk, areolar skin, and infant stool samples of 107 healthy mother-infant pairs. The study was conducted in Los Angeles, California, and St Petersburg, Florida, between January 1, 2010, and February 28, 2015.ExposuresAmount and duration of daily breastfeeding and timing of solid food introduction.Main outcomes and measuresBacterial composition in maternal breast milk, areolar skin, and infant stool by sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene.ResultsIn the 107 healthy mother and infant pairs (median age at the time of specimen collection, 40 days; range, 1-331 days), 52 (43.0%) of the infants were male. Bacterial communities were distinct in milk, areolar skin, and stool, differing in both composition and diversity. The infant gut microbial communities were more closely related to an infant's mother's milk and skin compared with a random mother (mean difference in Bray-Curtis distances, 0.012 and 0.014, respectively; P
- Published
- 2017