Microbiome, pregnancy, and lactation

Pregnancy is characterized by endocrine, metabolic and immune variations associated with significant changes in the gut microbiota.

Some of these variations are entirely physiological and healthy; their appearance is due to the natural weight gain of the pregnant woman and the need to feed the developing fetus. Other changes could be associated with pregnancy complications or could impair the development of the baby’s gut microbiota.

However, the gut microbiota isn’t the only one that changes during pregnancy.

The vaginal microbiota – important because it helps fight infections – becomes more stable, but its diversity decreases. Lactobacilli species increase and the pH falls.

Any loss of lactobacilli, which have protective functions, can increase the risk of both vaginal and urinary tract infections.

Distinguishing physiological changes from potentially pathological ones is important because:

• • the gut microbiota appears to play a role in intrauterine infections.
  • the intestines of vaginally-born babies are colonized by bacteria present in the mother’s vagina and intestines. It has been hypothesized that in the event of a caesarean section, the absence of this transmission may have long-term consequences on the development of the immune system and on the child’s health, who would be more exposed to the risk of obesity, asthma and celiac disease.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the microbiome analysis with the MICROBALANCE test of the Bioscience Institute helps to identify alterations in the maternal bacterial flora at risk of complications for the mother’s or child’s health.

The collection of the material necessary for the microbiome analysis during pregnancy and lactation is a simple procedure that can be done using the kit provided by the Bioscience Institute.