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Encyclopedia of Metagenomics pp 1–7Cite as

Infant Microbiome

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Synonyms

The dynamics of the microbial colonization of the gut from neonates to toddlers. The relationship of microbes and the immune system in infants

Definition

The immune system of infants is “educated” by a series of microbial gut colonizers that contribute to the host’s health status.

Introduction

Mammals develop in utero with no or little exposure to bacteria but are naturally born heavily inoculated with the microbiota of the maternal birth canal. The events that follow ought to have enormous adaptive value: there is a long period of strict lactation during which the diversity of the colon microbiota is minimal, and the development of the baby’s immune, sensorial, and motor systems is remarkable. The developmental events during lactation in relation to the microbiota have been the subject of little study and are reviewed in this paper.

Life Inside Uterus

The fetal intestine is filled with swallowed amniotic fluid (Fanaro et al. 2003) and is assumed to be free of microorganisms...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Translational Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, 10017, USA

    Maria Dominguez-Bello

  2. Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, P.O BOX 191293, 00919-1293, San Juan, PR, USA

    Filipa Godoy-Vitorino

Authors
  1. Maria Dominguez-Bello
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  2. Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Dominguez-Bello .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Karen E. Nelson

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Dominguez-Bello, M., Godoy-Vitorino, F. (2013). Infant Microbiome. In: Nelson, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metagenomics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_405-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_405-4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6418-1

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