Early life programming of pathology in children: Gut microbiota signatures

Prof. Marie-José Butel, INSERM / Université de Paris, France
2018

Early childhood is a critical window during which the gutmicrobiota—an immense community of microorganisms living in the digestivetract—helps shape lifelong health. Emerging evidence suggests that early-lifemicrobial patterns may influence metabolic development, immunity, and the riskof later disease. However, large-scale population-based data on gut microbiotacomposition in early childhood are still limited. This project will leveragetwo major French birth cohorts (ELFE and EPIPAGE 2) to explore how early-lifefactors shape microbiota development at 3.5 years of age.

 

Study Aim

The aim of this study is to identify gut microbiotasignatures in preschool-aged children and to investigate how perinatalconditions, early health indicators, and growth parameters may influence theestablishment of these microbial communities. Ultimately, the study seeks tobetter understand whether early-life microbiota patterns correlate with laterhealth outcomes.

 

Scientific Approach

The project will gather and analyse stool samples fromchildren enrolled in the ELFE and EPIPAGE 2 cohorts. The microbiota compositionwill be analysed using 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing. Subsequently, theassociations between microbial patterns and early-life clinical parameters,including gestational age, birth mode, and early BMI trajectories, will beevaluated.

 

Expected Outcomes

The study is expected to map the gut microbiota landscape ofyoung children in two major French cohorts, and explore potential associationsbetween microbiota composition and early growth or perinatal factors, pave thusthe way for understanding how microbiota development at childhood may shapelong-term health.

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Funded projects

Transmission of obesity from mother to child through microbiota transfer and impact on feeding behavior

Mother & Child Health and Nutrition
Dr. Patricia Parnet, UMR1280, Nantes University, France
Studies suggest that obesity could be ‘transmitted’ frommother to child. Since maternal microbiota is the main determinant of childintestine colonization, the transmission of a maternal microbiota"signature" of obesity to her child during perinatal period, couldpotentially affect his metabolism.
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NourishMinds: Unraveling the Impact of Early-Life High-Sugar Diets on Neuro-Cognitive Development and Gut-Brain Pathways in Children

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Dr. Harriet Schellekens, APC Microbiome, University College Cork, Ireland
How can we better cultivate healthy eating behaviour in our children?Unhealthy eating patterns, characterized by excessive consumption of highly palatable (high-sugar and high-fat) processed foods, are alarmingly prevalent among children globally. A poor early-life diet profoundly impacts on the metabolic programming and infant brain development, heightening the risk of obesity later in life, and associated cognitive impairment, including attention, executive function, and decision making.
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Exploring Gut-Brain Connections: Investigating Modifiable Microbial Determinants of Neurodevelopment in Mid-Childhood: A Twin Study Approach

Brain Development
Prof. Jeffrey Craig, Deakin University, Autralia
Human neurodevelopment occurs from early pregnancy through to early adulthood. During this time, there are several windows in which the developing brain is sensitive to environmental influence. Such environments can affect the senses, language, learning, memory, and higher-order thinking.We know that the mix of beneficial organisms in our gut, the microbiome, plays a role in brain development up to at least age three. However, it is not known whether the microbiome has a lasting impact on brain development beyond infancy.
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