Aimee Jurado

Dr. Bruce

ENG 363

MW 10-11:15

3/14/18

Review of Microbiome Development in Infants and the Role of Mothers:

Team Serious About Science (SAS); APA Format

Purpose:

Team SAS’ purpose is to review current findings of infant microbiome development and

highlight its role in infant health. With this information, we hope to inform mothers of ways in

which they can improve their infants’ microbiome development.

Introduction:

Overlooked and often misunderstood, the development of the human infant microbiome plays a

vital role in the overall health and growth of the infant. Several factors during pregnancy and

postpartum affect this development, the most prominent being birthing method, breastfeeding vs.

formula feeding, and the mother’s attention to hers and the baby’s health postpartum. By

acknowledging the benefits of natural birth and breastfeeding, it is hoped that mothers who are

able to will choose these routes in order to promote a healthy microbiome tract for their infants.

Mothers that require Caesarean Section (C-Section) and the use of antibiotics still benefit from

this research by preparing for possible health problems as a result of their birthing method and

antibiotic use, as well as actions that can be taken to promote a healthy microbiome tract for their

babies.
Annotations:

 Mode of Delivery Determines Neonatal Pharyngeal Bacterial Composition and Early

Intestinal Colonization

o Brumbaugh, D. E., Arruda, J., Robbins, K., Ir, D., Santorico, S. A., Robertson, C.

E., & Frank, D. N. (2016). Mode of Delivery Determines Neonatal Pharyngeal

Bacterial Composition and Early Intestinal Colonization. Journal of Pediatric

Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 63(3), 320-328.

doi:10.1097/mpg.0000000000001124

o By sampling infant and mother feces, scientists debunk the idea that C-Section

babies have radically less diverse microbiomes but acknowledge differences seen

between infants birthed vaginally and by C-Section. (30 words)

o My group can use this article to provide evidence and concrete numbers to

validate the superiority of natural childbirth and how much more varied the

natural baby’s microbiome tract is compared to the baby who underwent

unnecessary C-Section and overused antibiotics. Even with prior knowledge of

the infant microbiome development, it is surprising to see that in some studies

infants of C-Section did not have a microbiome development too different from

naturally born babies, which goes against most current findings.

 Mom Knows Best: The Universality of Maternal Microbial Transmission

o Funkhouser LJ, Bordenstein SR (2013) Mom Knows Best: The Universality of

Maternal Microbial Transmission. PLoS Biol 11(8): e1001631.

 o Emphasizes the importance of delivery method, the benefits of natural birth and

breastfeeding, and their universality in the animal kingdom. Argues that

microbiomes play a role in evolution. (29 words)

o This article argues that natural birth as well as breastfeeding equip the child with a

more diverse and thus healthier, microbiome tract, which is necessary for

evolution and the passing down of healthy traits. My team can use this to extend

our argument noting that microbe development is universal in the animal kingdom

and when healthy, improves evolution. Research methods in this article include

studies done on different species of animals.

 The Infant Microbiome Development: Mom Matters

o Mueller, N. T., Bakacs, E., Combellick, J., Grigoryan, Z., & Dominguez-Bello,

M. G. (2015). The infant microbiome development: mom matters. Trends in

Molecular Medicine, 21(2), 109-117. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2014.12.002

o Emphasizes the superiority of vaginal birth, breastfeeding, and consequences of

unnecessary C-Section and overuse of pro/antibiotics and suggests other ways to

promote a healthy microbiota tract despite a C-Section. (30 words)

o In agreement with the other articles, this argument can be used by my group to

extend the argument that is vaginal birth and breastfeeding creates a healthier

microbiome tract for infants than C-Section and formula fed babies. In addition,

the article touches on how policy making can enforce medical experts to take

further action in promoting microbiome health for infants.

 The Postpartum Maternal and Newborn Microbiomes

o Mutic, A., Jordan, S., Edwards, S., Ferranti, E., Thul, T., & Yang, I. (2017). The

Postpartum Maternal and Newborn Microbiomes. MCN. The American Journal of

Maternal Child Nursing, 42(6), 326-331.

o Intended for nurses, connects the role of microbiomes to infant and mother health

postpartum and suggests ways to promote a healthy gut microbiome tract. (25

words)

o My group can use this article to draw connections between the internal and

external health of both mothers and infants and how their health affects each

other; this article can also better relate to a less scientific audience in the way they

suggest ways to promote microbiome health in their everyday lives. Agrees with

other sources that C-Section birth is commonly associated with the development

of asthma and obesity.