Researchers say taking Bifidobacterium breve supplements while pregnant may support the development of a healthy baby. (University of Cambridge)
A recent study by the University of Cambridge in mice has revealed that the presence of the bacterium Bifidobacterium breve in a mother’s gut during pregnancy can positively influence fetal brain development.
Bifidobacterium is a genus of gram-positive, non-motile, anaerobic bacteria that are commonly found in the human gut. These bacteria are considered beneficial to human health and play important roles in various physiological functions.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge compared the development of the fetal brain in mice whose mothers had no bacteria in their gut, to those whose mothers were given Bifidobacterium breve orally during pregnancy, but had no other bacteria in their gut.
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Obesity or chronic stress during pregnancy can disrupt the gut microbiome, often leading to fetal growth abnormalities, explained the researchers. Up to 10% of first-time mothers give birth to babies with low birth weight or fetal growth restriction. Inadequate fetal development in the womb can increase the risk of conditions such as cerebral palsy in infancy and anxiety, depression, autism, and schizophrenia later in life.
These findings suggest that supporting fetal brain metabolism with Bifidobacterium breve supplements during pregnancy may promote healthy fetal development.
Nutrient transport to the brain increased in fetuses of mothers given Bifidobacterium breve, and beneficial changes were also seen in other cell processes relating to growth.
“Our study suggests that by providing ‘good bacteria’ to the mother we could improve the growth and development of her baby while she’s pregnant,” said Dr Jorge Lopez-Tello, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Trophoblast Research, first author of the report.
“This means future treatments for fetal growth restriction could potentially focus on altering the gut microbiome through probiotics, rather than offering pharmaceutical treatments – with the risk of side effects – to pregnant women,” he added.
“The design of therapies for fetal growth restriction are focused on improving blood flow pathways in the mother, but our results suggest we’ve been thinking about this the wrong way – perhaps we should be more focused on improving maternal gut health,” said Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Trophoblast Research and senior author of the report, who is also a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge.
“We know that good gut health – determined by the types of microbes in the gut – helps the body to absorb nutrients and protect against infections and diseases,” she added.
The study was carried out in mice, which allowed the effects of Bifidobacterium breve to be assessed in a way that would not be possible in humans – the researchers could precisely control the genetics, other microorganisms and the environment of the mice. But they say the effects they measured are likely to be similar in humans.
They now plan further work to monitor the brain development of the offspring after birth, and to understand how Bifidobacterium breve interacts with the other gut bacteria present in natural situations.
