Microbial Interrelationships across Sites of Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants at 6 Weeks Postpartum.

ABSTRACT: Infancy is a critical life stage for the establishment of the gut microbiome. Human milk contains a unique microbial ecosystem that serves as a continuous source of commensal bacteria for the infant. However, the origin of the human milk microbiota, how it is influenced by breastfeeding exclusivity, and its role in infant gut microbiota assembly are not clear. To interrogate these questions, we examined the relationships among fecal, oral, breast skin, and human milk microbiota of 33 exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) and mixed-feeding (MF; human milk + infant formula) mother-infant pairs at 6 weeks postpartum. Here, we show that MF infants have a significantly more diverse oral microbiome comprised of lower relative abundances of Streptococcus and Gemella and higher abundances

SUBMITTER: Davis EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9230604 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature