Metagenomic predictors of childhood obesity, cross-talk with maternal microflora
The study demonstrated the dynamics of gut microbiome formation in children born to obese mothers during the first 6 months of life. The key observation of the study was a significant difference in alpha diversity between the groups at one month of age (p=0.004), indicating a critical period for the establishment of the microbiota. Analysis of the taxonomic structure revealed fundamental differences in the microbiota composition between the OB and BM groups, starting with the maternal faecal microbiota and persisting throughout the first six months of life.