Premature babies have delayed microbiome development that is their gut bacteria flourish late
Premature infants who fail to grow as expected may have problems with the development of their microbiome or gut bacteria, a new study suggests.
Analysis of these infants’ metabolism revealed that their bodies respond as if they were fasting, despite caloric intake similar to extremely premature infants with appropriate growth. The study findings also suggest that the unique makeup of the microbiome in infants with growth failure might contribute to their inability to properly metabolize nutrients.
The study, which was published in the Scientific Reports, shows that the reason behind premature infants failing to thrive or develop like other infants despite similar caloric intake is because their bodies respond as if they were fasting. The study also suggests that the unique makeup of gut bacteria might also be linked to their inability to appropriately metabolize certain nutrients.
“Our identification of the distinct features within the microbiome and metabolism associated with growth failure might point to new ways to predict, prevent and treat this pervasive problem among preterm infants”
The first few months a premature baby’s life are mostly focused on critical care, providing the needed nutrients for healthy development. Some infants may have problems with nutrition and they do not progress at the same rate as their peers. What’s more, some preterm babies seem to be unable to metabolise nutrients as effectively as others. Hence, the researchers believe that the differences in gut microbiome make up may play a pivotal role in the baby’s ability to develop normally.
Also, among premature babies, some studies have shown that their gut bacterial composition is markedly different in those who were born at the right age.
The new study followed 58 preterm babies, all with an average age of gestation of 26 weeks. When they turned 40 weeks, about 60 percent of the babies had severe postnatal growth failure, which means their weight was less than the third percentile on growth charts.
The researchers believe that the study, specifically comparing microbiome and metabolism of infants, can help improve preterm baby development and interventions in the future.
