kawasaki disease

pregnancy_87933

immersed boundary

susceptibility testing

infant gut

palivizumab

microbiota_88626

nurses_95227

imiquimod

milk oligosaccharides

pebble

microbiota_16549

gut_31818

gut_17448

microbiotas

obtusa

salud_14468

gut_20903

Current Opinion in Microbiology

Humans are colonised by a highly adapted microbiota with coevolved functions that promote human health, development and disease resistance. Acquisition and assembly of the microbiota start at birth and recent evidence suggests that it coincides with, and informs, immune system development and regulation in the rapidly growing infant. Several large-scale studies have identified Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides species maternally transmitted to infants, many of which are capable of colonising over the longer term. Disruption of maternal transmission by caesarean section and antibiotic exposure around birth is associated with a higher incidence of pathogen colonisation and immune-related disorders in children. In this review, we discuss key maternally transmitted bacterial species, their sources and their potential role in shaping immune development. Maternal transmission of gut bacteria provides a microbial 'starter kit' for infants which promotes healthy growth and disease resistance. Optimising and nurturing this under-appreciated form of kinship should be considered as a priority.

Mother–infant transmission of human microbiota