The vagina question: Can maternal vaginal fluid impact the infant gut microbiome and neurodevelopment?

Heather B Jaspan; Caroline M Mitchell; Anna-Ursula Happel

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.007

The vagina question: Can maternal vaginal fluid impact the infant gut microbiome and neurodevelopment?

Cell Host Microbe. 2023 Jul 12;31(7):1084-1086. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.007.

Authors

Heather B Jaspan¹, Caroline M Mitchell², Anna-Ursula Happel³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Global Infectious Diseases Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: hbjaspan@gmail.com.
² Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

PMID: 37442096
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.007

Abstract

Cesarean section rates continue to rise globally, and C-sectioned infants are at a higher risk of adverse child outcomes. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Zhou et al. report that vaginal microbial transfer (VMT) from birth mother to infant post-delivery may alter infant gut microbiota and improve neurodevelopment.

MeSH terms

Cesarean Section
Female
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Humans
Infant
Mothers
Pregnancy
Vagina

Abstract

MeSH terms

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