Postpartum Maternal Stress is Unrelated to the Infant Fecal Microbiome, but is Associated With the Human Milk Microbiome in Exclusively Breastfeeding Mother-Infant Dyads: The Mother-Infant Microbiomes, Behavior, and Ecology Study (MIMBES)

IF 1.6 4区医学 Q1 ANTHROPOLOGY

American Journal of Human Biology Pub Date : 2025-05-19 DOI:10.1002/ajhb.70061

Elizabeth A. Holdsworth, Janet E. Williams, Ryan M. Pace, Beatrice Caffé, Maria Gartstein, Mark A. McGuire, Michelle K. McGuire, Courtney L. Meehan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate whether postpartum maternal stress is associated with infant gastrointestinal microbiome composition and diversity, and whether this relationship may be mediated by maternal caregiving and breastfeeding behaviors and human milk microbiome (HMM) composition.

Methods

Infant fecal and human milk samples were collected from 51 exclusively breastfeeding mother-infant dyads in the Pacific Northwest between 1 and 6 months postpartum. Infant fecal samples with sequencing read counts > 773 (n = 48) and milk samples with read counts > 200 (n = 46) were analyzed for bacterial alpha diversity (richness, Shannon diversity), beta diversity (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity), and genera differential abundances. Infant fecal microbiome (IFM) measures were tested for associations with mothers' self-reported Parenting Stress Index total and subscale scores in regression (richness, Shannon diversity), envfit (beta diversity), and MaAsLin2 (genera abundance) models. Potential mediators of the relationship between maternal stress and IFM were explored (observed total time breastfeeding; maternal–infant physical contact frequency; and HMM alpha diversity, beta diversity, and genera abundance).

Results

Maternal stress was not associated with IFM alpha or beta diversities. Two maternal stress subscales were associated with differential abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae UCG-003 (positively) and Eggerthella (negatively) in infant feces. Maternal total stress and two stress subscales (Role Restriction, Attachment) were associated positively with HMM beta diversity (q_attachment = 0.07) and negatively with HMM richness (q_total = 0.08, q_role = 0.03).

Conclusions

Postpartum stress is not consistently associated with IFM composition during exclusive breastfeeding. However, postpartum maternal stress is associated with HMM diversity, suggesting that maternal stress might influence other developmental pathways in the breastfeeding infant.

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产后母亲压力与婴儿粪便微生物组无关，但与纯母乳喂养的母婴双体中的母乳微生物组有关：母婴微生物组，行为和生态学研究（MIMBES）

目的探讨产妇产后应激是否与婴儿胃肠道微生物组组成和多样性相关，以及这种关系是否可能通过产妇护理和母乳喂养行为以及母乳微生物组组成介导。方法采集太平洋西北地区51对产后1 ~ 6个月纯母乳母婴对的婴儿粪便和人乳样本。对测序reads计数为>； 773 （n = 48）的婴儿粪便样本和测序reads计数为>； 200 （n = 46）的牛奶样本进行细菌α多样性（丰富度，Shannon多样性），β多样性（布雷-柯蒂斯不相似性）和属差异丰度分析。在回归（丰富度、Shannon多样性）、envfit （beta多样性）和MaAsLin2（属丰度）模型中，测试了婴儿粪便微生物组（IFM）测量与母亲自我报告的养育压力指数总分和子量表得分的相关性。探讨了母亲压力与IFM之间关系的潜在中介(观察母乳喂养总时间；母婴身体接触频率；以及HMM α多样性、β多样性和属丰度)。结果母亲应激与IFM α和β多样性无关。两个母体应激亚量表与婴儿粪便中丹毒科UCG-003的差异丰度（正相关）和蛋菌（负相关）相关。母亲总压力和两个压力分量表（角色限制、依恋）与HMM β多样性正相关（qattachment = 0.07），与HMM丰富度负相关（qtotal = 0.08, qrole = 0.03）。结论：纯母乳喂养期间，产后压力与IFM成分并不一致。然而，产后母亲压力与HMM多样性相关，这表明母亲压力可能影响母乳喂养婴儿的其他发育途径。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

American Journal of Human Biology 生物-生物学

CiteScore

4.80

自引率

13.80%

发文量

124

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The American Journal of Human Biology is the Official Journal of the Human Biology Association. The American Journal of Human Biology is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed, internationally circulated journal that publishes reports of original research, theoretical articles and timely reviews, and brief communications in the interdisciplinary field of human biology. As the official journal of the Human Biology Association, the Journal also publishes abstracts of research presented at its annual scientific meeting and book reviews relevant to the field. The Journal seeks scholarly manuscripts that address all aspects of human biology, health, and disease, particularly those that stress comparative, developmental, ecological, or evolutionary perspectives. The transdisciplinary areas covered in the Journal include, but are not limited to, epidemiology, genetic variation, population biology and demography, physiology, anatomy, nutrition, growth and aging, physical performance, physical activity and fitness, ecology, and evolution, along with their interactions. The Journal publishes basic, applied, and methodologically oriented research from all areas, including measurement, analytical techniques and strategies, and computer applications in human biology. Like many other biologically oriented disciplines, the field of human biology has undergone considerable growth and diversification in recent years, and the expansion of the aims and scope of the Journal is a reflection of this growth and membership diversification. The Journal is committed to prompt review, and priority publication is given to manuscripts with novel or timely findings, and to manuscripts of unusual interest.