Mother’s milk microbiota is associated with the developing gut microbial consortia in very-low-birth-weight infants
Mother's milk contains diverse bacterial communities, although their impact on microbial colonization in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, <1,500 g) infants remains unknown. Here, we examine relationships between the microbiota in preterm mother's milk and the VLBW infant gut across initial hospitalization (n = 94 mother-infant dyads, 422 milk-stool pairs). Shared zero-radius operational taxonomic units (zOTUs) between milk-stool pairs account for ∼30%-40% of zOTUs in the VLBW infant's gut. We show dose-response relationships between intakes of several genera from milk and their concentrations in the infant's gut. These relationships and those related to microbial sharing change temporally and are modified by in-hospital feeding practices (especially direct breastfeeding) and maternal-infant antibiotic use. Correlations also exist between milk and stool microbial consortia, suggesting that multiple milk microbes may influence overall gut communities together. These results highlight that the mother's milk microbiota may shape the gut colonization of VLBW infants by delivering specific bacteria and through intricate microbial interactions.
Authors
- James Butcher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7050-1834)
- Deborah L. O’Connor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6331-091X)
- Michelle R. Asbury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1871-4795)
- Sharon L. Unger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8091-5742)
- Adrianna Greco
- Nicole Bando (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4257-4785)
- Alex Kiss
- Philip M. Sherman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4733-6690)
- Pauline W. Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8265-3854)
- Alain Stintzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3728-4038)
- Akash Kothari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1980-161X)
- Elena M. Comelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5201-5437)
- Sara Shama (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2140-6021)
- Christopher D. Tomlinson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8634-6111)
- Amel Taïbi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0022-4904)
- Julia K. Copeland
Institutions
- University of Toronto (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports Medicine
- Published
- 2024-09-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101729
- Citations
- 12
- Primary Topic
- Gut microbiota and health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.81
Funders
- Genome Canada
- Molly Towell Perinatal Research Foundation
- Ontario Genomics
- Ontario Genomics Institute
- Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation
- University of Toronto
- Killam Trusts
- Hospital for Sick Children
- Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
- National Institutes of Health
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research