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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Darren Smith, Professor Janet Berrington, Professor Nicholas EmbletonORCiD, Dr Clare Lanyon
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).
OBJECTIVES: Microbial communities influencing health and disease are being increasingly studied in preterm neonates. There exists little data, however, detailing longitudinal microbial acquisition, especially in the most extremely preterm (<26 weeks' gestation). This study aims to characterize the development of the microbiota in this previously under-represented cohort. METHODS: Seven extremely preterm infant-mother dyads (mean gestation 23.6 weeks) were recruited from a single neonatal intensive care unit. Oral and endotracheal secretions, stool, and breast milk (n = 157 total), were collected over the first 60 days of life. Targeted 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified bacterial communities present. RESULTS: Microbiota of all body sites were most similar immediately following birth and diverged longitudinally. Throughout the sampling period Escherichia, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, and an Enterobacteriaceae were dominant and well dispersed across all sites. Temporal divergence of the stool from other microbiota was driven by decreasing diversity and significantly greater proportional abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae compared to other sites. CONCLUSIONS: Four taxa dominated all anatomical sampling sites. Rare taxa promoted dissimilarity. Cross-seeding between upstream communities and the stool was demonstrated, possibly relating to buccal colostrum/breast milk exposure and indwelling tubes. Given the importance of dysbiosis in health and disease of extremely preterm infants, better understanding of microbial acquisition within this context may be of clinical benefit.
Author(s): Young GR, van der Gast CJ, Smith DL, Berrington JE, Embleton ND, Lanyon C
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Year: 2020
Volume: 70
Issue: 1
Pages: 12-19
Print publication date: 01/01/2020
Online publication date: 01/01/2020
Acceptance date: 22/10/2019
Date deposited: 21/06/2021
ISSN (print): 0277-2116
ISSN (electronic): 1536-4801
Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
URL: https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000002549
DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002549
PubMed id: 31714477
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