Maternal precarity and HPA axis functioning shape infant gut microbiota and HPA axis development in humans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early life exposure to adverse environments, and maternal stress in particular, has been shown to increase risk for metabolic diseases and neurobehavioral disorders. While many studies have examined the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) as the primary mechanism behind these relationships, emerging research on the brain-gut axis suggests that the microbiome may play a role. In this study, we tested the relationships among maternal precarity and HPA axis dysregulation during the peripartum period, infant gut microbiome composition, and infant HPA axis functioning.

Methods

Data come from 25 mother-infant dyads in the Galápagos, Ecuador. Women completed surveys on precarity measures (food insecurity, low social support, depression, and stress) and gave sa

SUBMITTER: Jahnke JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8136730 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature