Infant gut microbiome and breastfeeding: long-term implications for infant health, growth and development

Andre Leke ^1* Djamal-Dine Djeddi ¹ Guy Kongolo ¹ Maurice Biendo ²

• ¹ Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) d'Amiens, Amiens, France
• ² Department of Peritox Laboratory, UMRI-01, University Health Research Center, University Jules Verne, F-80054, Amiens-Picardie, Amiens, France, AMIENS, Champagne-Ardenne, France

The infant gut microbiome is important for the healthy development of the human body, and appears to be influenced by dietary practices. Maternal diet during pregnancy and infant nutrition impact the infant gut microbiota. Breastfeeding promotes the proliferation of beneficial bacteria, while formula feeding increases microbial diversity. During infancy, the development of the gut microbiota is also impacted by the duration since birth, the intake of breast milk, and interventions such as prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics. Other factors that impact the colonization of the infant gut microbiome include mode of delivery, exposure to antibiotics, and infant feeding patterns. Feeding and dietary habits during preconception, pregnancy, or children infancy are what determines adulthood. During each phase, different factors, such as the mother’s lifestyle, culture, or socioeconomic status are crucial during all these phases. The outcomes of the various studies indicate the interest of future research into how different foods impact the long-term health of newborns and future strategies to improve the development of the gut microbiota of formula-fed babies. This review will summarize the evidence on how breastfeeding impacts early life proliferation of the gut microbiota. It also emphasizes the role of beneficial bacteria, probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in preventing and treatment health issues. Finally, in this review, evidence for early nutritional intervention and prevention of future illnesses was gathered.