Pregnancy and Microbiome
The CNP Pregnancy and Microbiome Research Category consolidates research exploring the relationship between pregnancy and the microbiome. To view each original study on the open internet, click “Original.” To view the CNP-written abstract summary, click “CNP Summary.” While only some of the CNP-written abstract summaries are available below for free, all abstract summaries are available to CNP members through the CNP Library Membership.
FEATURED CNP RESEARCH SUMMARY
This 2019 study states that a child’s emotional and behavioral development may be affected if his/her mother had suffered psychosocial stress before giving birth. Hechler et al. explore the role of the mother’s intestinal microbiota in this implication, which may in turn influence the microbiota in the intestines of the child. To investigate the relationship between psychosocial stress and fecal microbiotas in pregnant women, 70 female participants provided late pregnancy stool samples and completed questionnaires regarding anxiety as well as general and pregnancy-specific stress. The only association identified was between maternal general anxiety and microbial composition. In conclusion, this is the first study to find a mechanism by which psychological symptoms in pregnancy may affect the offspring.
2024
Intestinal microbiome and maternal mental health: preventing parental stress and enhancing resilience in mothers
Growing interest surrounds the connection between gut bacteria and brain health, highlighting how the gut's microbiota affects the central nervous system through pathways like nerves, hormones, and immune responses. Diet, lifestyle, and exercise can modify gut bacteria composition. Research links gut health to mental conditions like depression and anxiety, showing that these issues often involve more inflammatory bacteria and fewer bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate. These SCFAs, generated from dietary fiber by gut bacteria, benefit gut health by boosting immune function and preventing cancer cell growth. The incidence of mental health issues among mothers is on the rise, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, underscoring the critical need to identify factors that bolster resilience in mothers to mitigate the potential for adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Our research zeroes in on the potential risks associated with parenting stress and the psychological resilience in mothers without psychiatric or physical ailments through two investigative studies. These studies explored how the gut microbiota, physical well-being, and psychological state interrelate. Findings indicate a connection between the diversity within the gut microbiome and an increased risk of parenting stress. Additionally, psychological resilience and physical well-being were linked to the presence of specific microbial genera such as Blautia, Clostridium, and Eggerthella. This research advances our comprehension of the interactions between the gut and brain and advocates for strategies to fortify resilience among mothers. [Parental, microbiome, microbiota, psychological state, mothers, stress, resilience, gut and brain]
2019
Association between psychosocial stress and fecal microbiota in pregnant women
Prenatal psychosocial stress experienced by mothers is linked to altered emotional and behavioral growth in children. Prenatal psychosocial stress may impact a child's outcomes by altering those of the mother's, and subsequently the child's, intestinal microbiota. This study by Hechler et al. (2019) examines the relationship between psychosocial stress and fecal microbiota in pregnant moms, which is the initial stage of this process. Mothers (N = 70) completed surveys on general and pregnancy-specific stress and anxiety and submitted a late pregnancy stool sample. Illumina HiSeq sequencing of PCR-amplified 16 S ribosomal RNA gene fragments was used to extract and analyze bacterial DNA. Analysis of the results revealed connections between general maternal anxiety and microbial diversity. However, no discernible relationships existed between the various psychological stressors evaluated and the microbial group's relative abundance. The authors comment that their study provides the first proof of a mechanism via which psychological symptoms during pregnancy may impact the fetus by demonstrating relationships between mother pregnancy general anxiety and microbial makeup. [NPID: Microbiome, pregnancy, children, offspring, psychosocial stress, anxiety]
2023
Maternal psychosocial stress Is associated with reduced diversity in the early infant gut microbiome
Infants' growing gut microbiomes are highly responsive to environmental influences, allowing them to support the immune system, offer immunity against illness, and promote healthy gut and nervous system functions. The effect of maternal psychological stress on the baby's gut flora is the main focus of this study by Dutton et al. (2023). 47 mother-infant pairs were recruited for this study. Extensive demographic, medical, and psychosocial stress data were gathered at birth. At six weeks, 12 weeks, and six months, newborn stool samples were also taken. Based on eight surveys, a composite maternal psychosocial stress score was developed to account for various stress exposures. Sequences of the 16S rRNA gene in its entirety were produced. Analysis of the results revealed that, compared to newborns of moms with low stress levels, infants of mothers with high composite stress scores had lower levels of gut microbiome beta diversity when investigated at six weeks and three months, as well as greater levels of alpha diversity at six months. Compared to newborns of low-stress moms, infants of high-stress mothers had lower levels of the health-promoting bacteria Lactobacillus gasseri and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum at six weeks. However, the discrepancies were substantially eliminated by three to six months. Previous studies have demonstrated that L. gasseri may be used as a probiotic to lower inflammation, stress, and exhaustion and to enhance mental state, while B. pseudocatenulatum plays a crucial role in early development in influencing the gut-brain axis and in avoiding mood disorders. The authors conclude that the newborn gut microbiome may contribute to the effect of maternal stress on child health and development based on their findings of decreased levels of these health-promoting bacteria in infants of high-stress moms. [NPID: Maternal psychosocial stress, early infant gut, microbial diversity, microbial composition, Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum]
2018
Emerging literature in the microbiota-brain axis and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
Current evidence demonstrates how Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) are linked to substantial morbidity and mortality in both mothers and their offspring. Perinatal health depends on several homeostatic functions, however, maternal systemic derangements may lead to suffering from anxiety and/or depression. The interplay between the gut microbiome, immunity, and stress may help explain the mechanisms behind PMAD. Recent studies investigating immunity, hormones and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) derangements seen with microbiome alterations, in addition to literature investigating perinatal immunity, gonadotropins, and stress, helped pave the way towards understanding PMAD. Rackers et al. (2018) examined the available literature focusing on the relationship between the gut microbiome and PMAD, accounting for several factors such as stress, microbiome composition, mood, dietary impact on the microbiome, and the mechanisms behind the impact of the gut microbiome on the immune system. The authors comment on the need for further research on the relationship between maternal microbiome and stress, anxiety, and depression, while accounting for the collective impact of identified key variables. [NPID: Anxiety, depression, immunity, microbiome, pregnancy, stress]
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2019
Association between psychosocial stress and fecal microbiota in pregnant women
Exposure to stress during pregnancy has been linked to derangements in the emotional and behavioral development of children. A possible mechanism through which prenatal stress impacts children is through the maternal microbiome. In this study by Hechler et al. (2019), the authors investigated the links between psychosocial stress and the gut microbiome in 70 pregnant mothers. Study participants submitted questionnaires on general and pregnancy-related anxiety and stress, in conjunction with a late pregnancy stool sample for microbiome analysis. Data analysis revealed that, while anxiety was found to influence the maternal microbiome composition, no similar effects were observed with psychosocial stress. The authors comment that their study demonstrates how maternal anxiety during pregnancy impacts the gut microbiome, which serves as the first evidence of how psychological symptoms in the prenatal period may impact infants. [NPID: Pregnancy, mothers, children, stress, anxiety, gut microbiome]
2019
Improving mental health for the mother-infant dyad by nutrition and the maternal gut microbiome
Coming Soon.
CNP Research Summary can be found in the CNP Library Membership
2019
The relationship between perinatal mental health and stress: A review of the microbiome
This 2019 review focuses on the interaction between stress-induced adaptations (such as the immune system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the autonomic nervous system) and the microbiota since this relationship may contribute to mental illnesses/disorders/behaviors/experiences in women during pregnancy and postpartum. Redpath et al. explain that when the stress response activates the HPA axis and dysregulates the ANS, the parasympathetic system is eventually inhibited. This article also mentions perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (during pregnancy or in the first year following childbirth) since its underlying mechanisms and etiologies have not yet been confirmed. It was recently found that the sustained elevated levels of cortisol, reduced heart variability, and altered immune responses (factors associated with stress) increase vulnerability to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The bidirectional communication that takes place between the nervous system and the microbiota is now also believed to play an important role in the development of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Finally, there is a lot of promise in the study of the relationship between the psychoneuroimmune system, the gut microbiota, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. [NPID: anxiety, depression, heart rate variability, microbiota; pregnancy; psychosocial, stress, HPA, cortisol, gut-brain axis]
2020
Evidence for maternal diet-mediated effects on the offspring microbiome and immunity: Implications for public health initiatives
This 2021 article highlights the concerning effects of diet today, especially in the offspring. Mirpuri explains that the consumption of a high-fat diet by the mother during pregnancy can influence the microbiome of her future child or children. Diet is also believed to have significantly contributed to the high prevalence of obesity/overweight among women of childbearing age in the U.S. (said to be 50%). The consequential changes in neonatal microbiome associated with maternal fat-rich diets are related to multiple morbidities such as necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious gastrointestinal problem), atopy (tendency to develop allergic diseases), asthma, metabolic dysfunction, and hypertension (high blood pressure). This review outlines the possible mechanisms by which maternal diets affect offspring immunity and microbiome, focusing on the more recent studies. The author suggests possible avenues of research to approach and even potential mechanisms and summarizes our current knowledge of ideal nutrition during pregnancy and discusses how public health initiatives can promote the well-being of the future generation. [NPID: pregnancy, microbiome, gut-brain axis, gut microbiota, high-fat diet, high fat, obesity, overweight, enterocolitis, atopy, asthma, metabolic dysfunction, hypertension, high blood pressure, public health]