title: Rate of establishing the gut microbiota in infancy has consequences for future health.
abstract: The gut of the human neonate is colonized rapidly after birth from an early sparse and highly distinct microbiota to a more adult-like and convergent state, within 1 to 3 years. The progression of colonizing bacterial species is non-random. During the first months of life several shifts commonly occur in the species prevalent in our guts. Although the sequential progression of these species is remarkably consistent across individuals and geographies, there is inter-individual variation in the rate of progression. Our study and others suggest that the rate is influenced by environmental factors, and influences our future health. In this article, we review our recent contribution to cataloging the developing infant gut microbiota alongside other important recent studies. We suggest testable hypotheses that arise from this synthesis.
authors.affiliation: a Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS); Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Shaillay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dogra
authors.affiliation: b Nestlé Research Center ; Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sakwinska
authors.affiliation: c Department of Pediatrics ; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; National University of Singapore ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Shu-E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.affiliation: b Nestlé Research Center ; Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ngom-Bru
authors.affiliation: b Nestlé Research Center ; Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfram M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Brück
authors.affiliation: b Nestlé Research Center ; Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: b Nestlé Research Center ; Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brüssow
authors.affiliation: a Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS); Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Neerja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karnani
authors.affiliation: a Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS); Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) ; Singapore.|c Department of Pediatrics ; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; National University of Singapore ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Yung Seng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: d KK Women's and Children's Hospital ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.affiliation: a Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS); Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) ; Singapore.|e Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; National University of Singapore ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Yap-Seng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: f MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre; University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust ; Southampton , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: a Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS); Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Joanna D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Holbrook
mesh_terms: D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Caesarean section; adiposity; defining/profiling gut microbiome; gestational age; gut microbiota; harnessing microbial strategies for treatment of human disease; immaturity; infancy; obesity; prematurity; vaginal delivery