A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Daily skin-to-skin contact alters microbiota development in healthy full-term infants
Authors: Eckermann Henrik Andreas, Meijer Jennifer, Cooijmans Kelly, Lahti Leo, de Weerth Carolina
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC
Publishing place: PHILADELPHIA
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Gut Microbes
Journal name in source: GUT MICROBES
Journal acronym: GUT MICROBES
Article number: 2295403
Volume: 16
Issue: 1
Number of pages: 18
ISSN: 1949-0976
eISSN: 1949-0984
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2023.2295403
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2023.2295403
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387094206
The gut microbiota is vital for human body development and function. Its development in early life is influenced by various environmental factors. In this randomized controlled trial, the gut microbiota was obtained as a secondary outcome measure in a study on the effects of one hour of daily skin-to-skin contact (SSC) for five weeks in healthy full-term infants. Specifically, we studied the effects on alpha/beta diversity, volatility, microbiota maturation, and bacterial and gut-brain-axis-related functional abundances in microbiota assessed thrice in the first year. Pregnant Dutch women (n = 116) were randomly assigned to the SSC or care-as-usual groups. The SSC group participants engaged in one hour of daily SSC from birth to five weeks of age. Stool samples were collected at two, five, and 52 weeks and the V4 region was sequenced. We observed significant differences in the microbiota composition, bacterial abundances, and predicted functional pathways between the groups. The SSC group exhibited lower microbiota volatility during early infancy. Microbiota maturation was slower in the SSC group during the first year and our results suggested that breastfeeding duration may have partially mediated this relation. Our findings provide evidence that postpartum SSC may influence microbiota development. Replication is necessary to validate and generalize these results. Future studies should include direct stress measurements and extend microbiota sampling beyond the first year to investigate stress as a mechanism and research SSC's impact on long-term microbiota maturation trajectories.
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