Bridging Microbiota Science and Clinical Practice in Pediatric Healthcare: A National Survey

The human microbiota is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to pediatric and perinatal health. However, little is known about healthcare professionals’ preparedness to integrate microbiota-related concepts into routine pediatric and perinatal care. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Italian healthcare professionals involved in pediatric and perinatal care. The questionnaire explored microbiota-related training, self-perceived knowledge, attitudes, clinical practices, microbiota-testing-related approaches, and educational needs. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. Results: A total of 441 participants were included in the final analysis. Participants expressed highly positive attitudes toward the clinical relevance of the microbiota, particularly regarding maternal–fetal programming, neonatal development, preventive medicine, and microbiota education. Self-perceived knowledge was generally higher for basic microbiota concepts and neonatal microbiota development, whereas lower confidence emerged for microbiota-related clinical applications, counseling competencies, and critical interpretation of scientific evidence. Significant variability in microbiota-related knowledge scores emerged across professional backgrounds and healthcare settings (p < 0.001). Previous microbiota-related training was independently associated with higher self-perceived knowledge scores and greater integration of microbiota-oriented approaches into clinical practice. Use of probiotics was reported by 72.6% of participants, whereas microbiota-related diagnostic tests were routinely used by 32.9%. Overall, 91.8% of respondents expressed interest in further microbiota-related education. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals involved in pediatric and perinatal care recognize the growing clinical relevance of microbiota science but report heterogeneous levels of translational preparedness and clinical confidence. Microbiota-related training emerged as a key factor associated with greater preparedness and implementation in clinical practice, highlighting the need for structured multidisciplinary educational pathways and evidence-based integration of microbiome science into pediatric healthcare.