Vertical Transmission of Gut Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Infants Exposed to Antibiotics at Birth

Overview

Journal J Infect Dis

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2020 Apr 3

PMID 32239170

Citations 35

Authors

Weizhong Li

Terhi Tapiainen

Lauren Brinkac

Hernan A Lorenzi

Kelvin Moncera

Mysore V Tejesvi

Jarmo Salo

Karen E Nelson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Vertical transmission of maternal microbes is a major route for establishing the gut microbiome in newborns. The impact of perinatal antibiotics on vertical transmission of microbes and antimicrobial resistance is not well understood. Using a metagenomic approach, we analyzed the fecal samples from mothers and vaginally delivered infants from a control group (10 pairs) and a treatment group (10 pairs) receiving perinatal antibiotics. Antibiotic-usage had a significant impact on the main source of inoculum in the gut microbiome of newborns. The control group had significantly more species transmitted from mothers to infants (P = .03) than the antibiotic-treated group. Approximately 72% of the gut microbial population of infants at 3-7 days after birth in the control group was transmitted from their mothers, versus only 25% in the antibiotic-treated group. In conclusion, perinatal antibiotics markedly disturbed vertical transmission and changed the source of gut colonization towards horizontal transfer from the environment to the infants.

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