Nurturing development: how a mother's nutrition shapes offspring's brain through the gut

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy is a transformative period marked by profound physical and emotional changes, with far-reaching consequences for both mother and child. Emerging research has illustrated the pivotal role of a mother's diet during pregnancy in influencing the prenatal gut microbiome and subsequently shaping the neurodevelopment of her offspring. The intricate interplay between maternal gut health, nutrition, and neurodevelopmental outcomes has emerged as a captivating field of investigation within developmental science. Acting as a dynamic bridge between mother and fetus, the maternal gut microbiome, directly and indirectly, impacts the offspring's neurodevelopment through diverse pathways. This comprehensive review delves into a spectrum of studies, clarifying putative mechanisms through which maternal nutrition, by modulating the gut microbiota, orchestrates the early stages of brain development. Drawing insights from animal models and human cohorts, this work underscores the profound implications of maternal gut health for neurodevelopmental trajectories and offers a glimpse into the formulation of targeted interventions able to optimize the health of both mother and offspring. The prospect of tailored dietary recommendations for expectant mothers emerges as a promising and accessible intervention to foster the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, potentially leading to enhanced cognitive outcomes and reduced risks of neurodevelopmental disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Maternal nutrition
• gut microbiota
• neurodevelopment
• fetal brain
• prenatal environment
• short chain fatty acids
• epigenetic
• immune response

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Mara Ioana Ionescu

Dr Mara Ioana Ionescu is a PhD student specializing in Physiology and Neuroscience at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Concurrently, she is undertaking a residency in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Marie Curie Emergency Children's Hospital in Bucharest. Her dual commitment to advanced research and clinical training underscores her dedication to understanding and treating gastrointestinal conditions in children. With a stellar academic record, including a GPA of 9.88/10.00 during her medical education, she has actively engaged in preclinical research, clinical practice, and academia. Her main research focuses on perinatal asphyxia, gut microbiome modulation, and gut-brain interactions, which resulted in numerous publications and presentations at national and international conferences. Honored with prestigious awards, including the Charlotte Anderson ESPGHAN Award and the Young Investigator Award Scholarship from the Romanian Government, she is driven by a passion for advancing knowledge and improving patient care in pediatric gastroenterology and neuroscience.

Carmen Denise Mihaela Zahiu

Dr Carmen Denise Mihaela Zahiu is a Senior Lecturer at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, where she imparts her extensive knowledge to the next generation of medical professionals. Additionally, she practices as a gastroenterologist in Bucharest, providing specialized care to patients with digestive system disorders. Dr. Zahiu has a keen interest in preclinical neuroscience research, focusing on the early stages of scientific investigation that can lead to significant advancements in understanding behavior, brain connectivity and its relation to gastrointestinal health. Her combined expertise in gastroenterology and neuroscience underscores her commitment to integrating research with clinical practice to enhance patient care. Among her recent published articles are Melatonin-Microbiome Two-Sided Interaction in Dysbiosis-Associated Conditions (Antioxidants, 2022) and Capsaicin and Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease (Molecules, 2020).

Adelina Vlad

Dr Adelina Vlad is currently serving as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. She received her MD from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 1996. She obtained a Ph.D. from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy and a second Ph.D. from the University of Bern in 2005. Her scientific interests center around the pathology of atherosclerosis, with a focus on the biology of endothelial progenitor cells, scavenger receptors, lipid homeostasis, non-coding RNAs, and intricate mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Additionally, she investigates the beneficial effects of nutraceuticals and phytocompounds. Dr. Adelina Vlad has received many awards for her contribution to the field of medical science, such as the Best Poster Communication (FEPS Annual Meeting) by the Federation of European Physiological Societies in 2019, the Third Prize of Awards for Clinical Science from Medical International Conference for Students in 2018, the Second Prize of Basic Science by Medical International Conference for Students in 2017, and the Young Researcher Session-First Prize from The Romanian Society of Cardiology in 2012. She is also a member of various reputed societies, including the International Union of Physiological Sciences, the Federation of European Physiological Societies, and the American Physiological Society.

Felicia Galos

Dr Felicia Galos serves as a Senior Lecturer at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, one of the leading medical institutions in Bucharest. In addition to her academic role, she is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Marie Curie Emergency Children's Hospital, where she specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in children. Her dual roles in both academia and clinical practice highlight her dedication to advancing pediatric healthcare and medical education.

Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru

Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru is an Associate Professor at the University of Bucharest, experienced in the investigation of the structure and dynamics of microbial communities and her work integrates comparative and functional approaches to understand how microbial communities influence the health and function of their hosts and also how diet impacts host microbiota and metabolism. She is experienced in state-of-the-art genomic technologies, high-throughput data generation, and bioinformatics. She has organized events and articles dedicated to undergraduate students and the general public regarding the importance of nutrition in shaping the gut microbiome. She is currently involved in several international educational programs related to microbiome research tools as well as insights into metabolic disease pathophysiology. She has published over 120 scientific articles and she coordinated 1 international and 6 national grants and contributed as team member in 28 research projects.

Ana-Maria Zagrean

Professor Ana-Maria Zagrean is an eminent figure in neuroscience and medical education, with a distinguished career marked by a multitude of achievements and contributions. Her academic journey began with the attainment of her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” in Bucharest in 1995, followed by a Doctorate in Medical Sciences in 2003, where she delved into the intricacies of “Cerebral Ischemic Preconditioning”. Zagrean's scholarly pursuits have been recognized with numerous accolades, including her appointment as a Junior Fellow of the British Physiological Society and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Medical School of the University of Birmingham, UK. Furthermore, her commitment to enhancing medical education extends beyond the confines of traditional pedagogy, as evidenced by her involvement in workshops, seminars, and training programs aimed at fostering the professional development of educators and researchers in the field of neuroscience. Zagrean's research interests span a wide array of topics, encompassing the genetic, biochemical, and behavioral responses of the brain to various metabolic and environmental stressors, including global cerebral ischemia, perinatal asphyxia, and experimental epilepsy.

Siobhain M. O’Mahony

Siobhain M. O'Mahony graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Neuroscience from University College cork. She then went on to complete a Masters in Neuropharmacology in the National University of Ireland, Galway. Siobhain worked in the Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology in the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands, which was funded by a Marie Curie Fellowship. Siobhain obtained a PhD from the department of Psychiatry, UCC. She continued her research on adverse early life events and the development of pain-related disorders during a post-doctoral post in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Biosciences Institute, UCC. She then took up a post-doctoral position with GlaxoSmithKline validating lead compounds targeting visceral pain in models of irritable bowel syndrome. In 2008 Siobhain was appointed as Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience at UCC. She is involved in teaching the BSc in Neuroscience course and Graduate Medical Entry students and is the Programme director for the BSc Neuroscience. Siobhain's main research areas assess outcomes of adverse events during the first 1000 days of life in particular the disruption of the developing gut microbiota through events such as antibiotic usage or stressful situations. The outcomes assessed include the development of visceral pain in adulthood and alterations in the signalling in the brain-gut-microbiota axis. She is also interested in gender-related differences in pain perception as well as the involvement of the gut micorbiota in the development of obesity following antipsychotic treatment.