Features of Healthy Colonization of the Intestine in Children

Abstract

Until recently, it was believed that the intestines of the fetus in the womb are sterile (except in cases of intrauterine infection). Previously applied culture methods (growing bacteria on nutrient media) made it difficult to identify representatives of the microbiota in biological samples. However, modern molecular genetic technologies have made it possible to detect the content of microorganisms in the meconium, placenta and amniotic fluid. The flora of the original feces turned out to be quite diverse, it is dominated by staphylococci and enterobacteria. The microbiome of the placenta and amniotic fluid is not diverse, it is dominated by proteobacteria. The microbiome of the amniotic fluid affects the formation of the intestinal microbiota of the fetus, and the microbial composition of meconium depends on the duration of gestation. This proves that the process of formation of the intestinal microbiota of a child begins in the prenatal period and occurs under the influence of the transfer of microorganisms from the mother to the fetus. Thus, by influencing the microbiome of a pregnant woman, it is possible to influence the process of microbial colonization of the baby's intestines.