Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility
Abstract Early-life colonization is a critical developmental process influencing infant biological programming, with bifidobacteria playing a key role. This systematic review examines the transmissibility of Bifidobacterium strains from mothers to infants. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for S...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | npj Biofilms and Microbiomes |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00720-y |
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| author | Eduard Flores Ventura María Esteban-Torres Miguel Gueimonde Douwe van Sinderen Omry Koren Lindsay J. Hall Nicola Segata Mireia Valles-Colomer Maria Carmen Collado |
| author_facet | Eduard Flores Ventura María Esteban-Torres Miguel Gueimonde Douwe van Sinderen Omry Koren Lindsay J. Hall Nicola Segata Mireia Valles-Colomer Maria Carmen Collado |
| author_sort | Eduard Flores Ventura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Early-life colonization is a critical developmental process influencing infant biological programming, with bifidobacteria playing a key role. This systematic review examines the transmissibility of Bifidobacterium strains from mothers to infants. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 31 articles from 2009 to 2024 were selected from 2825 screened titles and abstracts. Using a narrative synthesis and meta-analysis, the review focuses on studies employing strain-level metagenomic approaches (Protocol registry CRD: CRD42023490507). Ten studies using shotgun metagenomic sequencing identified specific strains of B. adolescentis, B. angulatum, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. pseudocatenulatum, B. catenulatum, and B. longum shared between mothers and infants. A meta-analysis of 810 mother–infant pairs revealed an overall species transmissibility estimate of 30% (95% CI: 0.17; 0.44), with B. longum strains persisting in infants’ guts for up to 6 months. Strain transmissibility was higher in vaginally delivered infants compared to those delivered by caesarean section. This review highlights the high transmission rates of maternal Bifidobacterium strains in early-life gut seeding, particularly B. bifidum and B. longum. Despite ongoing research, uncertainties remain regarding the precise characteristics, transmission routes, and mechanisms of transmitted strains. Comprehensive approaches, including metagenomic sequencing and longitudinal studies, are needed to understand the role of vertical transmission in infant gut microbiome engraftment and its functional implications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8cac26a35d79438bbefdb4d30b8cc167 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2055-5008 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Biofilms and Microbiomes |
| spelling | doaj-art-8cac26a35d79438bbefdb4d30b8cc1672025-08-20T03:37:20ZengNature Portfolionpj Biofilms and Microbiomes2055-50082025-07-0111111110.1038/s41522-025-00720-yMother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibilityEduard Flores Ventura0María Esteban-Torres1Miguel Gueimonde2Douwe van Sinderen3Omry Koren4Lindsay J. Hall5Nicola Segata6Mireia Valles-Colomer7Maria Carmen Collado8Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology- National Research Council (IATA-CSIC)Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology- National Research Council (IATA-CSIC)Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Dairy Research Institute- National Research Council (IPLA-CSIC)APC Microbiome Ireland and School of Microbiology, University College CorkAzrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan UniversityDepartment of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health, University of BirminghamDepartment CIBIO, University of TrentoDepartment of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra UniversityInstitute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology- National Research Council (IATA-CSIC)Abstract Early-life colonization is a critical developmental process influencing infant biological programming, with bifidobacteria playing a key role. This systematic review examines the transmissibility of Bifidobacterium strains from mothers to infants. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 31 articles from 2009 to 2024 were selected from 2825 screened titles and abstracts. Using a narrative synthesis and meta-analysis, the review focuses on studies employing strain-level metagenomic approaches (Protocol registry CRD: CRD42023490507). Ten studies using shotgun metagenomic sequencing identified specific strains of B. adolescentis, B. angulatum, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. pseudocatenulatum, B. catenulatum, and B. longum shared between mothers and infants. A meta-analysis of 810 mother–infant pairs revealed an overall species transmissibility estimate of 30% (95% CI: 0.17; 0.44), with B. longum strains persisting in infants’ guts for up to 6 months. Strain transmissibility was higher in vaginally delivered infants compared to those delivered by caesarean section. This review highlights the high transmission rates of maternal Bifidobacterium strains in early-life gut seeding, particularly B. bifidum and B. longum. Despite ongoing research, uncertainties remain regarding the precise characteristics, transmission routes, and mechanisms of transmitted strains. Comprehensive approaches, including metagenomic sequencing and longitudinal studies, are needed to understand the role of vertical transmission in infant gut microbiome engraftment and its functional implications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00720-y |
| spellingShingle | Eduard Flores Ventura María Esteban-Torres Miguel Gueimonde Douwe van Sinderen Omry Koren Lindsay J. Hall Nicola Segata Mireia Valles-Colomer Maria Carmen Collado Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility npj Biofilms and Microbiomes |
| title | Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility |
| title_full | Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility |
| title_fullStr | Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility |
| title_short | Mother-to-infant vertical transmission in early life: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis of Bifidobacterium strain transmissibility |
| title_sort | mother to infant vertical transmission in early life a systematic review and proportional meta analysis of bifidobacterium strain transmissibility |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00720-y |
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