Parents should use antibiotics if they are prescribed and deemed necessary by their pediatrician . Rather , our study suggests that repeated antibiotic use during early childhood may signal underlying immune dysfunction or disrupted brain development , which can be influenced by the gut microbiome . In any case , it is important to consider whether children could benefit from treatments to restore their gut microbes after taking antibiotics , an area we are actively studying .
Another microbial imbalance in children who later were diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders was a decrease in Akkermansia muciniphila , a bacterium that reinforces the lining of the gut and is linked to neurotransmitters important to neurological health .
Even after we accounted for factors that could influence gut microbe composition , such as how the baby was delivered and breastfeeding , the relationship between imbalanced bacteria and future diagnosis persisted . And these imbalances preceded diagnosis of autism , ADHD or intellectual disability by 13 to 14 years on average , refuting the assumption that gut microbe imbalances arise from diet .
We found that lipids and bile acids were depleted in the cord blood of newborns with future autism . These compounds provide nutrients for beneficial bacteria , help maintain immune balance and influence neurotransmitter systems and signaling pathways in the brain .
Microbiome screening at well-child visits
Microbiome screening is not a common practice in well-child visits . But our findings suggest that detecting imbalances in beneficial and harmful bacteria ,
especially during critical periods of early childhood development , can provide essential insights for clinicians and families .
There is a long way to go before such screening becomes a standard part of pediatric care . Researchers still need validated methods to analyze and interpret microbiome data in the clinic . It ’ s also unclear how bacterial differences change across time in children around the world – not just which bacteria are present or absent , but also how they may be shaping immune responses and metabolism . But our findings reaffirm the growing body of evidence that the early gut microbiome plays a key role in shaping neurodevelopment .
This article was first published in The Conversation . Read the original article here .
To Table of Contents
Accessibilty for All 13