Association of Cesarean Delivery and Formula Supplementation With the Intestinal Microbiome of 6-Week-Old Infants.

ABSTRACT: The intestinal microbiome plays a critical role in infant development, and delivery mode and feeding method (breast milk vs formula) are determinants of its composition. However, the importance of delivery mode beyond the first days of life is unknown, and studies of associations between infant feeding and microbiome composition have been generally limited to comparisons between exclusively breastfed and formula-fed infants, with little consideration given to combination feeding of both breast milk and formula.To examine the associations of delivery mode and feeding method with infant intestinal microbiome composition at approximately 6 weeks of life.Prospective observational study of 102 infants followed up as part of a US pregnancy cohort study.Delivery mode was abstracted from delivery medical records, and feeding method prior to the time of stool collection was ascertained through detailed questionnaires.Stool microbiome composition was characterized using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.There were 102 infants (mean gestational age, 39.7 weeks; range, 37.1-41.9 weeks) included in this study, of whom 70 were delivered vaginally and 32 by cesarean delivery. In the first 6 weeks of life, 70 were exclusively breastfed, 26 received combination feeding, and 6 were exclusively formula fed. We identified independent associations between microbial community composition and both delivery mode (P

SUBMITTER: Madan JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4783194 | biostudies-other | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other