Time-specific bidirectional links between the maternal microbiome, milk composition, and infant gut microbiota
- Author
- Lishi Deng (UGent) , Kelsey Fehr, Laéticia Céline Toe (UGent) , Lindsay H. Allen, Lars Bode, Daniela Hampel, Melissa B. Manus, Andrew Mertens, Bianca Robertson, Chloe Yonemitsu, Bruno De Meulenaer (UGent) , Carl Lachat (UGent) , Justin L. Sonnenburg, Meghan B. Azad and Trenton Dailey-Chwalibóg (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- Early-life gut microbiome development is shaped by complex maternal and nutritional influences, yet the temporal and directional structure of these interactions remains unclear. In a longitudinal study of 152 mother-infant dyads in rural Burkina Faso, we examine how maternal gut and milk microbiomes, alongside milk components, influence infant gut microbiome development during the first 6 months. At 1–2 months, the infant gut microbiome clusters into three types: Escherichia-dominated, Bifidobacterium-dominated, and a diverse, pathogen-prevalent profile, which become less distinct by 5–6 months. Early infant gut microbiomes associate with maternal prenatal gut microbiota and early milk microbiome and oligosaccharides, while later variation links to other milk nutrients. Furthermore, early infant gut profiles predict subsequent milk composition, suggesting potential bidirectional communication between infant needs and maternal lactational physiology. These findings offer insights into early-life microbial development and inform future mechanistic studies and microbiome-targeted interventions, particularly in low-resource settings.
- Keywords
- MISAME-III, gut microbiome, development, early life, human milk, global health, Burkina Faso, omics, maternal, newborn and child health, microbial dynamics, CHAIN FATTY-ACIDS, IMPACT, TRANSMISSION, ACQUISITION, INFECTIONS, SHAPES
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01KF0EYJVJ5J1EW876RN3REMXE
- MLA
- Deng, Lishi, et al. “Time-Specific Bidirectional Links between the Maternal Microbiome, Milk Composition, and Infant Gut Microbiota.” CELL HOST & MICROBE, vol. 34, no. 1, 2026, pp. 149–66, doi:10.1016/j.chom.2025.11.014.
- APA
- Deng, L., Fehr, K., Toe, L. C., Allen, L. H., Bode, L., Hampel, D., … Dailey-Chwalibóg, T. (2026). Time-specific bidirectional links between the maternal microbiome, milk composition, and infant gut microbiota. CELL HOST & MICROBE, 34(1), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.11.014
- Chicago author-date
- Deng, Lishi, Kelsey Fehr, Laéticia Céline Toe, Lindsay H. Allen, Lars Bode, Daniela Hampel, Melissa B. Manus, et al. 2026. “Time-Specific Bidirectional Links between the Maternal Microbiome, Milk Composition, and Infant Gut Microbiota.” CELL HOST & MICROBE 34 (1): 149–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.11.014.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Deng, Lishi, Kelsey Fehr, Laéticia Céline Toe, Lindsay H. Allen, Lars Bode, Daniela Hampel, Melissa B. Manus, Andrew Mertens, Bianca Robertson, Chloe Yonemitsu, Bruno De Meulenaer, Carl Lachat, Justin L. Sonnenburg, Meghan B. Azad, and Trenton Dailey-Chwalibóg. 2026. “Time-Specific Bidirectional Links between the Maternal Microbiome, Milk Composition, and Infant Gut Microbiota.” CELL HOST & MICROBE 34 (1): 149–166. doi:10.1016/j.chom.2025.11.014.
- Vancouver
- 1.Deng L, Fehr K, Toe LC, Allen LH, Bode L, Hampel D, et al. Time-specific bidirectional links between the maternal microbiome, milk composition, and infant gut microbiota. CELL HOST & MICROBE. 2026;34(1):149–66.
- IEEE
- [1]L. Deng et al., “Time-specific bidirectional links between the maternal microbiome, milk composition, and infant gut microbiota,” CELL HOST & MICROBE, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 149–166, 2026.
@article{01KF0EYJVJ5J1EW876RN3REMXE,
abstract = {{Early-life gut microbiome development is shaped by complex maternal and nutritional influences, yet the temporal and directional structure of these interactions remains unclear. In a longitudinal study of 152 mother-infant dyads in rural Burkina Faso, we examine how maternal gut and milk microbiomes, alongside milk components, influence infant gut microbiome development during the first 6 months. At 1–2 months, the infant gut microbiome clusters into three types: Escherichia-dominated, Bifidobacterium-dominated, and a diverse, pathogen-prevalent profile, which become less distinct by 5–6 months. Early infant gut microbiomes associate with maternal prenatal gut microbiota and early milk microbiome and oligosaccharides, while later variation links to other milk nutrients. Furthermore, early infant gut profiles predict subsequent milk composition, suggesting potential bidirectional communication between infant needs and maternal lactational physiology. These findings offer insights into early-life microbial development and inform future mechanistic studies and microbiome-targeted interventions, particularly in low-resource settings.}},
author = {{Deng, Lishi and Fehr, Kelsey and Toe, Laéticia Céline and Allen, Lindsay H. and Bode, Lars and Hampel, Daniela and Manus, Melissa B. and Mertens, Andrew and Robertson, Bianca and Yonemitsu, Chloe and De Meulenaer, Bruno and Lachat, Carl and Sonnenburg, Justin L. and Azad, Meghan B. and Dailey-Chwalibóg, Trenton}},
issn = {{1931-3128}},
journal = {{CELL HOST & MICROBE}},
keywords = {{MISAME-III,gut microbiome,development,early life,human milk,global health,Burkina Faso,omics,maternal,newborn and child health,microbial dynamics,CHAIN FATTY-ACIDS,IMPACT,TRANSMISSION,ACQUISITION,INFECTIONS,SHAPES}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{149--166}},
title = {{Time-specific bidirectional links between the maternal microbiome, milk composition, and infant gut microbiota}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.11.014}},
volume = {{34}},
year = {{2026}},
}
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