World Health Day 2024: “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” – How Maternal Microbiome Shapes a Child’s Lifelong Health:

This year's celebration slogan is healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, which emphasizes the importance of early development of a child. World Health Day is celebrated today. They say that happy mom is equal to happy child. Well, it is also healthy mom, healthy child. Science, along with traditional tales, points out that a baby’s health journey begins way before its birth.

Research indicates that the baby’s microbiome, its complex ecosystem of bacteria along with other microbes, starts forming while the child is still in the womb which shapes the child’s immunity, metabolism and even brain functions. That is why it is important to pay close attention to maternal health as a cornerstone for lifelong well-being.

The microbiome is that part of the body that has bacteria, viruses, fungi, and all other life forms which exist within the body, especially in the gut. The microbiome constitute other parts of an individual which helps a lot for well-being. These life forms with help of shape offspring birth method, diet, and genes enable the baby to be born healthy. In return, hope the child's journey plays a major role in enabling development in immunity and metabolism, blood circulation, and even mental health.

Pregnancy diet: A good pregnancy diet simply involves consuming foods with high fibers alongside whole foods. This facilitates the growth of bacteria within the fetus that can provide the baby with beneficial signals (Image: Canva)

Dr Anupama Gangwal, Senior Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cocoon Hospital, Jaipur explains, “A baby’s health journey starts even when the baby is in the mother’s womb. The microbiome is a living system that interacts with every organ in the body.” In simpler terms, she continues, “the pregnant woman possesses bacterial DNA and their microbes. These are transferred through the placenta, giving the baby valuable supply which is going to be crucial for the baby to survive. This initial exposure is vital needed to set the immune system of a baby.”

Elder Dr Gangwal explains that in addition to affecting digestion, the gut microbiome also affect immune system development as well as do the same with brain’s ability to deal with stress. “Now it is clear that care given prior to giving birth is not about just avoiding risks during labor, but instilling lifelong health for children,” emphasizes the doctor.

The Interaction of Diet and Microbiome, and Its Relation To Stress

The maternal microbiome has to be maintained and guarded with great precaution. It is shaped by the daily actions of the mother. High fiber diets containing whole foods and fermented products contribute to the growth of bacteria that provide helpful signals to the fetus. “On the other hand, heavily processed foods that are rip in sugars can cause severe imbalances. Stress during pregnancy has come out as a dominant factor influencing microbiome development,” explains Dr. Shwetha Krishnamurthy. Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology at SPARSH Hospital, Bengaluru. “Stress changes hormonal levels which in turn alters the gut bacteria composition of the mother. This composition change will modify the fetal environment, increasing chances of metabolic or emotional disorders for the child,” she explains further.

Uncontrolled diets during pregnancy, according to Dr. Krishnamurthy, are detrimental when coupled with the risk of increasing the mother's body weight will intensify the child’s risk of metabolic disorders down the line. “The connection between gut microbiota, hormones, and mental well-being highlights the importance in minimizing the internal systematics which makes it essential to safeguard the body during pregnancy,” she concludes.

Choices of delivery and their relation to the gut-brain axis:

Further studies have proposed that the gut and the brain are connected even during the period of fetal development. “Mental health during the pregnancy phase has always been important, but now we understand that chronic stress might disrupt not only hormonal balance but also the gut microbiota,” remarks Dr. Pavitra Sharma, who is a consultant at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Jaipur. “Since the gut and the brain are connected through what we refer to as the gut-brain axis, changes in gut bacteria can affect the child’s brain development and stress coping mechanisms in the later stages of life,” she explains.

As per Dr. Sharma, the method used for delivery has its own significance. “Babies born vaginally benefit from direct exposure to their mother's vaginal microbiota which serves to populate their gut with healthy bacteria. C-section babies do not get this initial microbial exposure so their development of a diverse microbiome may be retarded. Even though breastfeeding and probiotics can help alleviate this situation, these statements highlight the greater need for informed decision-making around childbirth,” she adds.