HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Vertical mother-neonate transfer of maternal gut bacteria via breast-feeding

Study Abstract

Breast milk has recently been recognized as source of commensal and potential probiotic bacteria. The present study investigated whether viable strains of gut-associated obligate anaerobes are shared between the maternal and neonatal gut ecosystem via breast-feeding. Maternal feces, breast milk and corresponding neonatal feces collected from seven mothers-neonate pairs at three neonatal sampling points were analyzed by culture-independent (pyrosequencing) and -dependent methods (16S rRNA gene sequencing, PFGE, RAPD and REP-PCR). Pyrosequencing allowed identifying gut-associated obligate anaerobic genera, like Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides and members of the Clostridia (Blautia, Clostridium, Collinsella and Veillonella) shared between maternal feces, breast milk and neonatal feces. Using culture, a viable strain of Bifidobacterium breve was shown to be shared between all three ecosystems within one mother-neonate pair. Furthermore, pyrosequencing revealed that several butyrate-producing members of the Clostridia (Coprococcus, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia and Subdoligranulum) were shared between maternal feces and breast milk. This study shows that (viable) obligate gut-associated anaerobes may be vertically transferred from mother to neonate via breast-feeding. Thus, our data support the recently suggested hypothesis of a novel way of mother-neonate communication, in which maternal gut bacteria reach breast milk via an entero-mammary pathway to influence neonatal gut colonization and maturation of the immune system.

From press release:

Scientists have discovered that important ‘good’ bacteria arrive in babies’ digestive systems from their mother’s gut via breast milk.

Although this does confirm that when it comes to early establishment of gut and immune health, ‘breast is best’, a greater understanding of how babies acquire a population of good bacteria can also help to develop formula milk that more closely mimics nature.

The study, published today (22 August) in Environmental Microbiology, which is a journal of the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM), was led by Professor Christophe Lacroix at the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH-Zurich, Switzerland.

Professor Lacroix said “We are excited to find out that bacteria can actually travel from the mother’s gut to her breast milk.

“A healthy community of bacteria in the gut of both mother and baby is really important for baby’s gut health and immune system development.”

The Zurich team found the same strains of Bifidobacterium breve and several types of Clostridium bacteria, which are important for colonic health, in breast milk, and maternal and/or neonatal faeces. Strains found in breast milk may be involved in establishing a critical nutritional balance in the baby’s gut and may be important to prevent intestinal disorders.

Professor Lacroix continued “We’re not sure of the route the bacteria take from gut to breast milk but, we have used culture, isolation, sequencing and fingerprinting methods to confirm that they are definitely the same strains.”

Future research will hopefully complete the picture of how bacteria are transferred from mother to neonate. With a more thorough knowledge, we can decide which bacterial species will be most important as probiotics in formula. But until then, for neonates at least, the old adage is true, breast is best.

Study Information

Ted Jost, Christophe Lacroix, Christian P. Braegger, Florence Rochat and Christophe Chassard.
Vertical mother-neonate transfer of maternal gut bacteria via breast-feeding
Environmental Microbiology
2013 August
Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.