Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020 Oct 30;10:573735.doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.573735. eCollection 2020.

Viola Senn ¹, Dirk Bassler ¹, Rashikh Choudhury ², Felix Scholkmann ¹, Franziska Righini-Grunder ³, Raphael N Vuille-Dit-Bile ^4 5, Tanja Restin ^1 5

Author information

• ¹Newborn Research Zurich, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
• ²Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO, United States.
• ³Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.
• ⁴Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
• ⁵Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Abstract

The development of the neonatal gastrointestinal tract microbiota remains a poorly understood process. The interplay between neonatal (gestational age, genetic background), maternal (mode of delivery, nutritional status) and environmental factors (antibiotic exposure, available nutrition) are thought to influence microbial colonization, however, the exact mechanisms are unclear. Derangements in this process likely contribute to various gastrointestinal diseases including necrotizing enterocolitis and inflammatory bowel disease. As such, enhanced understanding of microbiota development may hold the key to significantly reduce the burden of gastrointestinal disease in the pediatric population. The most debatable topics during microbial seeding and possible future treatment approaches will be highlighted in this review.