Infants’ First Solid Foods: Impact on Gut Microbiota Development in Two Intercontinental Cohorts

Nutrients, vol. 13, pp. 2639

Abstract

The introduction of solid foods is an important dietary event during infancy that causes profound shifts in the gut microbial composition towards a more adult-like state. Infant gut bacterial dynamics, especially in relation to nutritional intake remain understudied. Over 2 weeks surrounding the time of solid food introduction, the day-to-day dynamics in the gut microbiomes of 24 healthy, full-term infants from the Baby, Food & Mi and LucKi-Gut cohort studies were investigated in relation to their dietary intake. Microbial richness (observed species) and diversity (Shannon index) increased over time and were positively associated with dietary diversity. Microbial community structure (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity) was determined predominantly by individual and age (days). The extent of change in community structure in the introductory period was negatively associated with daily dietary diversity. High daily dietary diversity stabilized the gut microbiome. Bifidobacterial taxa were positively associated, while taxa of the genus Veillonella, that may be the same species, were negatively associated with dietary diversity in both cohorts. This study furthers our understanding of the impact of solid food introduction on gut microbiome development in early life. Dietary diversity seems to have the greatest impact on the gut microbiome as solids are introduced.

Authors 15

1. Chiara-Maria Homann

   McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

   Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada

   Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

2. Connor A. J. Rossel

   Maastricht University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

3. Sara E. Dizzell

   McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada

4. Liene Bervoets

   Maastricht University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

5. Julia C. Simioni

   McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

6. Jenifer Li

   McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

   McMaster Midwifery Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

7. Elizabeth Gunn

   McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

   Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

8. Michael Gordon Surette

   McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada

   Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

9. Russell J. de Souza

   Population Health Research Institute · Hamilton Health Sciences · McMaster University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

   Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, Hamilton, ON L8L 2X2, Canada

10. Monique Mommers

    Maastricht University · Care and Public Health Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epidemiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

11. Eileen K. Hutton

    McMaster University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

    McMaster Midwifery Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

12. Katherine Mary Morrison

    McMaster University

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

    Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada

13. John Penders

    Maastricht University Medical Centre · Maastricht University · Care and Public Health Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

    InVivo Planetary Health: An Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 10704, USA

14. Niels van Best corresponding Aachen Institute of Medical Microbiology

    Maastricht University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

    InVivo Planetary Health: An Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 10704, USA

    Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, RWTH University, 52074 Aachen, Germany

15. Jennifer C. Stearns corresponding

    McMaster University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada

    Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada