What women eat during pregnancy can have a significant impact on their baby’s gut microbiome and disease risk later in life.  Evidence suggests that this is most likely influenced via the expecting mum’s diet, and her own gut microbiome population.

Nutrition plays a huge role in the composition, abundance and function of the various gut bugs within the host microbiome and this, in turn may impact the gut microbiome of the child. 

How Is the Child Exposed to Mum’s Microbiome? 

This transfer of microbes from mother to child is fundamental for building a healthy infant microbiome, crucial for immune system maturation, infant growth, and brain development.

During birth, and immediately after birth, the baby receives a huge and diverse dose of microbes from mum and surroundings, and this significantly influences the make up of baby’s microbiome. 

Mother’s Pregnancy Diet Impacts Bub’s Gut Health 

The mother’s gut microbiome changes progressively during pregnancy, and plays a significant role in determining the composition of the offspring gut microbiome.  Diet is a major influence on maternal gut microbial alterations, and appears to impact the trajectory of baby’s microbiome development. 

Recent studies have highlighted that excess maternal weight gain or inflammation during pregnancy can significantly alter the transfer of microbes from mum to bub, with the knock-on effect of altering the way in which the baby’s gut microbiome develops once born.  

The Influence on Disease Across the Lifespan 

The mother’s diet during pregnancy has been associated with the development of different diseases over the lifespan of the offspring.

For example, an obesity-associated maternal gut microbiome may lead to a state of imbalance in the gut (known as dysbiosis) for the infant, which can then lead to obesity later in life.

 Furthermore, an obesity-associated maternal microbiome has been shown to alter the infant’s immune response, increasing the risk of developing asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

The mum’s diet during pregnancy may also impact the brain development of the child. It is thought that this occurs via the gut and brain interactions, and that an imbalance in certain strains of bacteria within the gut may affect the ‘early programming’ of the infant brain.

On a more positive note, there is also evidence that a good quality diet during pregnancy, characterised by high intakes of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and omega 3 fatty acids, may help to reduce the child’s risk of developing a mental illness or hyperactivity-inattention later in life. 

Clare Carrick : https://www.mothersbabies.org/pregnancy-diet-gut-health-and-impact-on-offspring-health/