Research shows that malnutrition and stunted growth can be transmitted across generations via the gut microbiome. A study involving mice demonstrated that inflammatory microbes from mothers influence fetal development and the subsequent intestinal health of offspring. Researchers analyzed malnourished mice using bacteria samples obtained from stunted children, identifying specific bacteria that trigger inflammatory signals associated with malnutrition. These signals can damage the intestinal lining, hindering nutrient absorption.
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Jeffrey Gordon, M.D., of WashU Medicine, highlighted the significance of the gut microbiome, describing it as a largely unexplored ecosystem crucial for the healthy growth and development of children. The study, published in *Nature Microbiology*, indicates that mitigating the transfer of harmful bacterial strains from mothers to fetuses may help prevent environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) — a condition that leads to chronic inflammation, villus blunting, and reduced nutrient absorption.
EED is a global condition affecting malnourished children, damaging the intestinal lining and impacting nutrient uptake. Children suffering from EED also experience poor immunity, cognitive challenges, and growth issues, which can persist throughout their lives despite subsequent improvements in diet. Gordon noted that manipulating the gut microbiome in mothers around the time of pregnancy could potentially promote healthier growth outcomes for their children.
The research team previously collaborated with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh, evaluating samples from 525 malnourished children, averaging 18 months old. These children received standard therapeutic foods but those who did not improve underwent endoscopic procedures to analyze gut tissue and bacteria, identifying 14 strains linked to inflammation and stunting.
In the recent study, mice were fed a diet mirroring common foods from the Mirpur district of Dhaka, Bangladesh. They were divided into two groups: one born sterile and later colonized with bacteria from malnourished children, which induced intestinal inflammation, and a control group with bacteria from healthy children. Ethical considerations precluded sampling from healthy children's intestines.
Results indicated that inflammatory bacteria could be transmitted from mother to offspring, affecting development in utero before the child's bacteria establish. The study's authors aim to further investigate the broad implications of the small intestinal gut microbiome.