Sex dependent associations between microbiome disruption in infancy and the prevalence of behavioural disorders at 81 months

Abstract

The current findings support the hypothesis that disruption of the microbiome in infancy results in measurable, sex specific changes in behavioural characteristics associated with psychopathology. These early exploratory findings support further study into the mechanisms of potential behavioural effects of disruption of the human microbiome in infancy through exposure to antibiotics or birth by caesarean section. If a causal relationship is determined between early life microbiome disruptors and the development of psychopathology, the relative effect of these disruptors in relation to other developmental processes needs further consideration, given the potential impact these findings may have on the utilization of these intervention in infancy and early life.