Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A blinded randomized controlled trial

Lepeng Zhou; Wen Qiu; Jie Wang; Aihua Zhao; Chuhui Zhou; Tao Sun; Ziyu Xiong; Peihua Cao; Wei Shen; Jingfen Chen; Xiaolu Lai; Liu Hong  Zhao; Yue Wu; Meng Li; Feng Qiu; Yanhong Yu; Zhenjiang Zech Xu; Hongwei Zhou; Wei Jia; Yan Liao; Ravi Retnakaran; Daniel Krewski; Shi Wu Wen; Jose C. Clemente; Tianlu Chen; Ri Hua Xie; Yan He

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022

Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A blinded randomized controlled trial

Lepeng Zhou, Wen Qiu, Jie Wang, Aihua Zhao, Chuhui Zhou, Tao Sun, Ziyu Xiong, Peihua Cao, Wei Shen, Jingfen Chen, Xiaolu Lai, Liu Hong Zhao, Yue Wu, Meng Li, Feng Qiu, Yanhong Yu, Zhenjiang Zech Xu, Hongwei Zhou, Wei Jia, Yan LiaoRavi Retnakaran, Daniel Krewski, Shi Wu Wen, Jose C. Clemente^*, Tianlu Chen^*, Ri Hua Xie^*, Yan He^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Chinese Medicine - Teaching and Research Division

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The microbiomes of cesarean-born infants differ from vaginally delivered infants and are associated with increased disease risks. Vaginal microbiota transfer (VMT) to newborns may reverse C-section-related microbiome disturbances. Here, we evaluated the effect of VMT by exposing newborns to maternal vaginal fluids and assessing neurodevelopment, as well as the fecal microbiota and metabolome. Sixty-eight cesarean-delivered infants were randomly assigned a VMT or saline gauze intervention immediately after delivery in a triple-blind manner (ChiCTR2000031326). Adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups. Infant neurodevelopment, as measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) score at 6 months, was significantly higher with VMT than saline. VMT significantly accelerated gut microbiota maturation and regulated levels of certain fecal metabolites and metabolic functions, including carbohydrate, energy, and amino acid metabolisms, within 42 days after birth. Overall, VMT is likely safe and may partially normalize neurodevelopment and the fecal microbiome in cesarean-delivered infants.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1232-1247.e5
Number of pages	21
Journal	Cell Host and Microbe
Volume	31
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022
Publication status	Published - 12 Jul 2023

Scopus Subject Areas

Parasitology
Microbiology
Virology

User-Defined Keywords

cesarean section
gut metabolome
gut microbiome
infants
neurodevelopment
randomized controlled trial
vaginal microbiota transfer

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022

Cite this

Zhou, L., Qiu, W., Wang, J., Zhao, A., Zhou, C., Sun, T., Xiong, Z., Cao, P., Shen, W., Chen, J., Lai, X., Zhao, L. H., Wu, Y., Li, M., Qiu, F., Yu, Y., Xu, Z. Z., Zhou, H., Jia, W., ... He, Y. (2023). Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A blinded randomized controlled trial. Cell Host and Microbe, 31(7), 1232-1247.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022

@article{9533ca67bbf84a3daad39f5670fcf7c7,

title = "Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A blinded randomized controlled trial",

abstract = "The microbiomes of cesarean-born infants differ from vaginally delivered infants and are associated with increased disease risks. Vaginal microbiota transfer (VMT) to newborns may reverse C-section-related microbiome disturbances. Here, we evaluated the effect of VMT by exposing newborns to maternal vaginal fluids and assessing neurodevelopment, as well as the fecal microbiota and metabolome. Sixty-eight cesarean-delivered infants were randomly assigned a VMT or saline gauze intervention immediately after delivery in a triple-blind manner (ChiCTR2000031326). Adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups. Infant neurodevelopment, as measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) score at 6 months, was significantly higher with VMT than saline. VMT significantly accelerated gut microbiota maturation and regulated levels of certain fecal metabolites and metabolic functions, including carbohydrate, energy, and amino acid metabolisms, within 42 days after birth. Overall, VMT is likely safe and may partially normalize neurodevelopment and the fecal microbiome in cesarean-delivered infants.",

keywords = "cesarean section, gut metabolome, gut microbiome, infants, neurodevelopment, randomized controlled trial, vaginal microbiota transfer",

author = "Lepeng Zhou and Wen Qiu and Jie Wang and Aihua Zhao and Chuhui Zhou and Tao Sun and Ziyu Xiong and Peihua Cao and Wei Shen and Jingfen Chen and Xiaolu Lai and Zhao, {Liu Hong} and Yue Wu and Meng Li and Feng Qiu and Yanhong Yu and Xu, {Zhenjiang Zech} and Hongwei Zhou and Wei Jia and Yan Liao and Ravi Retnakaran and Daniel Krewski and Wen, {Shi Wu} and Clemente, {Jose C.} and Tianlu Chen and Xie, {Ri Hua} and Yan He",

note = "Funding information: We thank the participants and their families who were recruited for this study. We acknowledged funding from various sources, including the National Key R&D Program of China, China ( 2019YFA0802300 [to Y.H.]), Canadian Institute of Health Research, Canada ( P14-175351 [to R.R. and R.-h.X.] and PJT-178049 [to R.R. and R.-h.X.]), National Natural Science Foundation of China, China ( NSFC82022044 [to Y.H.] and NSFC82272391 [to Y.H.]), Clinical Research Startup Program of Southern Medical University, China ( LC2019ZD019 [to R.-h.X.]), and the Top Talent Program of Foshan Women and Children Hospital, China ( FY2022011 [to R.-h.X.]). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "1232--1247.e5",

journal = "Cell Host and Microbe",

issn = "1931-3128",

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}

Zhou, L, Qiu, W, Wang, J, Zhao, A, Zhou, C, Sun, T, Xiong, Z, Cao, P, Shen, W, Chen, J, Lai, X, Zhao, LH, Wu, Y, Li, M, Qiu, F, Yu, Y, Xu, ZZ, Zhou, H, Jia, W, Liao, Y, Retnakaran, R, Krewski, D, Wen, SW, Clemente, JC, Chen, T, Xie, RH & He, Y 2023, 'Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A blinded randomized controlled trial', Cell Host and Microbe, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 1232-1247.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants

T2 - A blinded randomized controlled trial

AU - Zhou, Lepeng

AU - Qiu, Wen

AU - Wang, Jie

AU - Zhao, Aihua

AU - Zhou, Chuhui

AU - Sun, Tao

AU - Xiong, Ziyu

AU - Cao, Peihua

AU - Shen, Wei

AU - Chen, Jingfen

AU - Lai, Xiaolu

AU - Zhao, Liu Hong

AU - Wu, Yue

AU - Li, Meng

AU - Qiu, Feng

AU - Yu, Yanhong

AU - Xu, Zhenjiang Zech

AU - Zhou, Hongwei

AU - Jia, Wei

AU - Liao, Yan

AU - Retnakaran, Ravi

AU - Krewski, Daniel

AU - Wen, Shi Wu

AU - Clemente, Jose C.

AU - Chen, Tianlu

AU - Xie, Ri Hua

AU - He, Yan

N1 - Funding information: We thank the participants and their families who were recruited for this study. We acknowledged funding from various sources, including the National Key R&D Program of China, China ( 2019YFA0802300 [to Y.H.]), Canadian Institute of Health Research, Canada ( P14-175351 [to R.R. and R.-h.X.] and PJT-178049 [to R.R. and R.-h.X.]), National Natural Science Foundation of China, China ( NSFC82022044 [to Y.H.] and NSFC82272391 [to Y.H.]), Clinical Research Startup Program of Southern Medical University, China ( LC2019ZD019 [to R.-h.X.]), and the Top Talent Program of Foshan Women and Children Hospital, China ( FY2022011 [to R.-h.X.]). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2023/7/12

Y1 - 2023/7/12

N2 - The microbiomes of cesarean-born infants differ from vaginally delivered infants and are associated with increased disease risks. Vaginal microbiota transfer (VMT) to newborns may reverse C-section-related microbiome disturbances. Here, we evaluated the effect of VMT by exposing newborns to maternal vaginal fluids and assessing neurodevelopment, as well as the fecal microbiota and metabolome. Sixty-eight cesarean-delivered infants were randomly assigned a VMT or saline gauze intervention immediately after delivery in a triple-blind manner (ChiCTR2000031326). Adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups. Infant neurodevelopment, as measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) score at 6 months, was significantly higher with VMT than saline. VMT significantly accelerated gut microbiota maturation and regulated levels of certain fecal metabolites and metabolic functions, including carbohydrate, energy, and amino acid metabolisms, within 42 days after birth. Overall, VMT is likely safe and may partially normalize neurodevelopment and the fecal microbiome in cesarean-delivered infants.

AB - The microbiomes of cesarean-born infants differ from vaginally delivered infants and are associated with increased disease risks. Vaginal microbiota transfer (VMT) to newborns may reverse C-section-related microbiome disturbances. Here, we evaluated the effect of VMT by exposing newborns to maternal vaginal fluids and assessing neurodevelopment, as well as the fecal microbiota and metabolome. Sixty-eight cesarean-delivered infants were randomly assigned a VMT or saline gauze intervention immediately after delivery in a triple-blind manner (ChiCTR2000031326). Adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups. Infant neurodevelopment, as measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) score at 6 months, was significantly higher with VMT than saline. VMT significantly accelerated gut microbiota maturation and regulated levels of certain fecal metabolites and metabolic functions, including carbohydrate, energy, and amino acid metabolisms, within 42 days after birth. Overall, VMT is likely safe and may partially normalize neurodevelopment and the fecal microbiome in cesarean-delivered infants.

KW - cesarean section

KW - gut metabolome

KW - gut microbiome

KW - infants

KW - neurodevelopment

KW - randomized controlled trial

KW - vaginal microbiota transfer

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164846920&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022

DO - 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37327780

AN - SCOPUS:85164846920

SN - 1931-3128

VL - 31

SP - 1232-1247.e5

JO - Cell Host and Microbe

JF - Cell Host and Microbe

IS - 7

ER -

Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A blinded randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Scopus Subject Areas

User-Defined Keywords

UN SDGs

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