Gestational microbiome: metabolic perturbations and developmental programming

A growing body of research suggests that alterations to the human microbiome are associated with disease states, including obesity and diabetes. During pregnancy, these disease states are associated with maternal microbial dysbiosis. This review discusses the current literature regarding the typical maternal and offspring microbiome as well as alterations to the microbiome in the context of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and gestational diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, this review outlines the proposed mechanisms linking associations between the maternal microbiome in the aforementioned disease states and offspring microbiome. Additionally, this review highlights associations between alterations in offspring microbiome and postnatal health outcomes.

Automated summary

Research indicates that alterations in the human microbiome are linked to disease states such as obesity and diabetes. During pregnancy, these conditions are associated with maternal microbial dysbiosis. The review also discusses the connections between the maternal microbiome in disease states and the offspring microbiome, highlighting the impact of offspring microbiome alterations on postnatal health outcomes.