The influence of the gut microbiome on child development is not well understood
Researchers at AKU are utilizing genetic sequencing to understand the gut microbiome and its influence on maternal and child health. Characterization of the human microbiome can provide valuable insights into the status of human health and disposition to disease. The gut microbiome changes during pregnancy and appears to differ in women with certain pregnancy-associated complications. An infant’s microbiome may have long-term implications for its physical growth, nutritional status and cognitive development.
Gut microbiota composition and function develop throughout the first two years of life. The development of the gut microbiome in infancy is thought to play an important role in the maturation of the immune system, prevention of pathogen colonization and nutrient utilization and modification. Newborns’ gut microbiota are shaped by a variety of factors, with one likely factor being the maternal microbial reservoir. Yet little is known about how transmission occurs from mother to child.
Whole genome shotgun metagenomics sequencing technology offers a robust way to study the effect of the gut microbiome on human health. Shotgun metagenomics is the untargeted (“shotgun”) sequencing of all microbial genomes present in a sample. To understand the transmission and adaptation of the maternal and infant gut microbiomes and how they could be modulated to manage risk factors in pregnancy, AKU researchers are performing such sequencing on maternal fecal samples taken around the time of delivery and infant fecal samples taken 42 days after birth and between 12 and 18 months after birth. The samples are part of an AKU biobank that holds 2,500 biospecimens from mothers and children living in low-income, peri-urban communities of Karachi.
The study is part of a larger effort by AKU to become a leader in gut microbiome research in Pakistan and to undertake clinical studies of interventions that can improve maternal, foetal and infant health. It is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the development of a multi-country platform that will enable clinical trials of interventions for improving maternal nutritional status and foetal growth. Other study sites are located in Bangladesh, Senegal and Zambia. Associate Professor Fyezah Jehan is the study’s principal investigator.
Whole genome shotgun metagenomics sequencing technology offers a robust way to study the effect of the gut microbiome on human health. Shotgun metagenomics is the untargeted (“shotgun”) sequencing of all microbial genomes present in a sample. To understand the transmission and adaptation of the maternal and infant gut microbiomes and how they could be modulated to manage risk factors in pregnancy, AKU researchers are performing such sequencing on maternal fecal samples taken around the time of delivery and infant fecal samples taken 42 days after birth and between 12 and 18 months after birth. The samples are part of an AKU biobank that holds 2,500 biospecimens from mothers and children living in low-income, peri-urban communities of Karachi.
The study is part of a larger effort by AKU to become a leader in gut microbiome research in Pakistan and to undertake clinical studies of interventions that can improve maternal, foetal and infant health. It is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the development of a multi-country platform that will enable clinical trials of interventions for improving maternal nutritional status and foetal growth. Other study sites are located in Bangladesh, Senegal and Zambia. Associate Professor Fyezah Jehan is the study’s principal investigator.