A study in mice has found that the bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in the mother’s gut during pregnancy supports healthy brain development in the fetus.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the University of Cambridge have 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.
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.
Bifidobacterium breve is a ‘good bacteria’ that occurs naturally in our gut, and is available as a supplement in probiotic drinks and tablets.
Obesity or chronic stress can alter the gut microbiome of pregnant women, often resulting in fetal growth abnormalities. The babies of up to 10% of first-time mothers have low birth weight or fetal growth restriction. If a baby hasn't grown properly in the womb, there is an increased risk of conditions like cerebral palsy in infants and anxiety, depression, autism, and schizophrenia in later life.
These results, published in Molecular Metabolism, suggest that improving fetal development - specifically fetal brain metabolism - by taking Bifidobacterium breve supplements while pregnant may support the development of a healthy baby.
“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. 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,” said Dr Jorge Lopez-Tello, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Trophoblast Research, first author of the report.
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.
Although further research is needed to understand how these effects translate to humans, this exciting discovery may pave the way for future clinical studies that explore the critical role of the maternal microbiome in supporting healthy brain development before birth.
While it is well known that the health of a pregnant mother is important for a healthy baby, the effect of her gut bacteria on the baby’s development has received little attention.
This research was funded by the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC and The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine.
Paper Reference: Lopez-Tello, J., et al: ‘Maternal gut Bifidobacterium breve modifies fetal brain metabolism in germ-free mice.’ Molecular Metabolism, August 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2024.102004
Chair of Microbiome Research
Staff Profile for Professor Lindsay Hall, Chair of Microbiome Research, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham
