Maternal–to–neonatal microbial transmission and impact of prenatal probiotics on neonatal gut development

作者：Lulu Meng, Guoliang Fan, Haishan Xie, Kian Deng Tye, Lianyi Xia, Huijuan Luo, Xiaomei Tang, Ting Huang, Jiaxin Lin, Guangyu Ma, Xiaomin Xiao, Zhe Li · 发表于：Journal of Translational Medicine · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s12967-025-07293-6 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Gut microbiota and health、Infant Nutrition and Health、Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research

BACKGROUND: Maternal microbiota during pregnancy plays a crucial role in establishing the neonatal gut microbiota, which is essential for infant health. This study aimed to trace maternal microbial sources contributing to early neonatal gut colonization and assess the effect of prenatal probiotic supplementation on maternal-to-neonatal microbial transmission. METHODS: A total of 26 mother-neonate pairs undergoing full-term vaginal delivery were enrolled. From gestational week 32 until delivery, the intervention group received a probiotic supplement containing Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus twice daily, while the control group received no supplementation. Maternal fecal, vaginal, and placental samples were collected at full term, and neonatal fecal samples were collected longitudinally at Days 1, 3, 14, and 6 months postpartum. Microbial community profiling was performed using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbial source attribution was conducted using the FEAST algorithm. RESULTS: Alpha and beta diversity analyses showed that prenatal probiotics transiently altered the composition of neonatal meconium microbiota, with no significant differences observed at later time points. Volatility analysis revealed enhanced microbial stability in the probiotic group during Days 1 to 3 (P < 0.001). FEAST source-tracking indicated that maternal gut and placenta were the major contributors to neonatal meconium colonization, with g...