Maternal gut microbiota is associated with newborn anthropometrics in a sex-specific manner

Maternal gut microbiota is thought to be one of the important factors in the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) concept, but the effects of maternal gut microbiota on foetal growth are not well known. In this study, the association between maternal gut microbiota and foetal growth was investigated. Maternal and newborn information, as well as stool samples at the third trimester of pregnancy, were obtained from 51 mother-newborn pairs from the Chiba study of Mother and Child Health (C-MACH). Gut microbiota was analysed by 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in stool were analysed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. After adjustment for covariates, it was found that maternal gut microbial diversity had a positive association with head circumference in newborn males (Chao 1: adjusted r = 0.515, p = 0.029). Genus Parabacteroides and genus Eggerthella showed negative associations with newborn head circumference and weight, respectively in males (genus Parabacteroides: adjusted r = -0.598, p = 0.009, genus Eggerthella: adjusted r = -0.481, p = 0.043). On the other hand, genus Streptococcus showed a negative association with newborn height in females (adjusted r = -0.413, p = 0.040). In addition, hexanoate was involved in the association between maternal gut microbiota and newborn anthropometrics in the univariate analysis, but not in the multivariate analysis. These data suggest that maternal gut microbiota has sex-specific effects on foetal growth. Maternal gut microbiota is an important factor for optimal intrauterine growth.

母体肠道微生物群被认为是健康与疾病发育起源（DOHaD）概念中的重要因素之一，但母体肠道微生物群对胎儿生长的影响尚不明确。在这项研究中，对母体肠道微生物群与胎儿生长之间的关联进行了调查。从千叶母婴健康研究（C - MACH）的51对母婴中获取了母体和新生儿的信息以及妊娠晚期的粪便样本。通过对粪便样本进行16S rRNA测序分析肠道微生物群，并通过气相色谱 - 串联质谱法分析粪便中的短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）。在对协变量进行调整后，发现母体肠道微生物多样性与新生男性的头围呈正相关（Chao1：调整后的r = 0.515，p = 0.029）。副拟杆菌属和埃格特菌属分别与新生男性的头围和体重呈负相关（副拟杆菌属：调整后的r = -0.598，p = 0.009；埃格特菌属：调整后的r = -0.481，p = 0.043）。另一方面，链球菌属与新生女性的身高呈负相关（调整后的r = -0.413，p = 0.040）。此外，在单变量分析中，己酸参与了母体肠道微生物群与新生儿人体测量学之间的关联，但在多变量分析中则不然。这些数据表明，母体肠道微生物群对胎儿生长具有性别特异性影响。母体肠道微生物群是胎儿宫内最佳生长的一个重要因素。