MICROBIOTA

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MICROBIAL SIGNATURES AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES IN NEONATES: INSIGHTS AND IMPLICATIONS

Esra Beşer

Ağrı Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Ağrı, Türkiye

Beşer E. Microbial Signatures and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates: Insights and Implications. Melek İM, Aydoğan S, eds. Microbiota. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.89-96.

ABSTRACT

The gut microbiota has various effects on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of neonates. Neurodevelopment begins to take shape in the prenatal period, and the gut microbiota is an important part of this process. Metabolites originating from the maternal microbiota can cross the placenta and impact fetal immune system and brain development. Maternal immune activation can also have negative consequences on fetal neurodevelopment. The gut-brain axis influences neurodevelopment via bidirectional communication between the microbiota and the brain. Through this axis, the gut microbiota modulates the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. It also promotes the production of neurotrophic factors that support the growth and differentiation of brain cells. For example, Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium species have been associated with the positive development of cognitive and social skills, while Clostridium species have been associated with poor cognitive development and behavioral disorders. In preterm infants, disruptions in the formation of the gut microbiome can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Low microbial diversity and greater presence of pathogenic bacteria may cause delayed cognitive and language development. Although infants treated in the neonatal intensive care unit were observed to have low microbial diversity in the first postnatal days, this diversity later increased and was associated with positive neurodevelopmental outcomes. These findings suggest that optimizing the microbiota early in life may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes. Treatment approaches such as microbiota-modulating probiotics and prebiotics hold promise for the prevention and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Therefore, more detailed investigation of the link between the microbiota and neurodevelopment is critical for children’s health and brain development.

Keywords: Microbiome; Neonate; Gut microbiota; Neurodevelopment; Prebiotics; Probiotics

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