Why do babies cry? Exploring the role of the gut microbiota in infantile colic, constipation, and cramps in the KOALA birth cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Gastrointestinal symptoms are common during infancy, including infantile colic. Colic can be loosely defined as prolonged and recurrent crying without obvious cause. The cause indeed remains unclear despite much research. Results on infant nutrition are inconclusive, but prior work has linked maternal mental health to infant crying. Recently, several small studies have described associations between gut microbiota and colic. We used a larger cohort to examine the role of the microbiota in infant gastrointestinal health, while also accounting for other biopsychosocial factors. Using fecal 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data from 1,012 infants in the KOALA birth cohort, we examined associations between the 1-month gut microbiota and parent-reported functional gastrointestinal symptoms thr

SUBMITTER: Barnett D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11959906 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature