The development of neonatal microbiota from fetal period to after-birth

Abstract

 The microbiome of neonates is influenced by maternal microbiome, prenatal environment and delivery mode. Postnatal factors such as usage of antibiotics, diet, breast feeding, or environmental exposure further modulate the infant’s microbiome. The infant’s microbiome shapes the immune system, and altered microbiome in the early life increases the risk for the diseases such as asthma, inflammatory bowel diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Recently, microbiome-mediated therapeutics such as vaginal seeding have been attempted to improve the microbiota of newborns and prevent the subsequent onset of allergic diseases.