The Mother's Gut Microbiome During Pregnancy Influences the Baby's Brain Development

A study on mice has shown that the bacterium Bifidobacterium breve in the mother’s gut during pregnancy supports the healthy brain development of the baby. The researchers compared fetal brain development in mice whose mothers had no bacteria in their gut and in mice whose mothers received Bifidobacterium breve orally during pregnancy but had no other bacteria in their gut . Nutrient transport to the brain increased in fetuses of mothers who received Bifidobacterium breve, and positive changes were also observed in other growth-related cell processes.

How Intestinal Bacteria Support the Child’s Mental Development

Bifidobacterium breve is a “good bacterium” that occurs naturally in our gut and is available as a dietary supplement in probiotic drinks and tablets. Obesity or chronic stress can alter the gut microbiome of pregnant women, often leading to fetal growth disorders. The babies of up to 10 percent of first-time mothers have low birth weight or fetal growth restriction. If a baby has not grown properly in the womb, there is an increased risk of conditions such as cerebral palsy in infants and anxiety, depression, autism and schizophrenia later in life. These findings suggest that improving fetal development – particularly fetal brain metabolism – by taking Bifidobacterium breve during pregnancy may support the development of a healthy baby. The results were published in the journal Molecular Metabolism. According to Dr. Jorge Lopez-Tello, researcher at the Centre for Trophoblast Research at the University of Cambridge and first author of the report, the study suggests that the baby’s growth and development during pregnancy could be improved by providing the mother with ‘good bacteria’.

According to Lopez-Tello, this means that future treatments for fetal growth restriction could potentially focus on altering the gut microbiome through probiotics, rather than offering pharmaceutical treatments – with the risk of side effects – to pregnant women. According to Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, a researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Center for Trophoblast Research and lead author of the report, who is also a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, her findings suggest that researchers have been thinking in the wrong direction – and that perhaps they should focus more on improving the health of the maternal gut. After all, good gut health – which is determined by the type of microbes in the gut – helps the body to absorb nutrients and protect itself from infection and disease.

Further Research Important

The study was conducted on mice, which allowed the effects of Bifidobacterium breve to be studied in a way that would not be possible in humans – the researchers were able to precisely control the mice’s genetics, other microorganisms and environment. However, they say that the effects they measured are likely to be similar in humans. They now plan further work to monitor the brain development of the offspring after birth, and to understand how Bifidobacterium breve interacts with the other gut bacteria found in nature.

Previous work by the same team showed that treating pregnant mice with Bifidobacterium breve improves the structure and function of the placenta. This also allows for a more adequate supply of glucose and other nutrients to the developing fetus, and improves fetal growth. Although more research is needed to understand how these effects translate to humans, according to Professor Lindsay Hall from the University of Birmingham, who was also involved in the research, this exciting discovery could pave the way for future clinical trials investigating the crucial role of the maternal microbiome in supporting healthy brain development before birth. While it is well known that the health of the pregnant woman is important for a healthy baby, little attention has been paid to the impact of her gut bacteria on the baby’s development.