If you’ve been focusing on a healthy pregnancy, you might be surprised to learn that your gut health could play an important supporting role.
A new study from the University of Cambridge found that a species of beneficial gut bacteria, Bifidobacterium breve, may support fetal development and placental health in mice.
While the findings don’t guarantee similar results in humans, they highlight how gut microbes may play a powerful role in supporting a healthy pregnancy.
GUT HEALTH AND PREGNANCY: WHAT SCIENCE SAYS
In recent years, the connection between gut health and overall well-being has been in the spotlight. Some research even links gut health to anxiety and mental health, so it’s only natural progression for scientists to explore how it might affect pregnancy, too.
In this latest study, published in Journal of Translational Medicine, researchers focused on Bifidobacterium breve, a strain of healthy gut bacteria.
They found that pregnant mice lacking this bacterium had a higher rate of complications, including fetal growth restriction, low fetal blood sugar, and increased fetal loss.
The researchers believe their work could pave the way for future screening of the maternal microbiome to detect complications such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia earlier, and to explore whether probiotics might help improve pregnancy outcomes.
Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri from the University of Cambridge explained that while the study didn’t focus on conception rates, the improvements in pregnancy outcomes were encouraging:
“We found that restoring one bacterium from mid-pregnancy improved fetal growth and viability. This is very promising as the next step after conceiving is maintaining a healthy pregnancy until term.”
Mice given Bifidobacterium breve were less likely to lose their pregnancies. Their placentas also absorbed and delivered important nutrients, such as amino acids and lactate, more effectively, helping their babies grow.
Bifidobacterium breve occurs naturally in the human gut microbiome, but in pregnant women, levels of this bacteria can be altered by stress or obesity. It is also widely available as a supplement in probiotic drinks and tablets.
WHY SCIENTISTS ARE INTERESTED IN THE CONNECTION
The gut microbiome (the community of microbes living in our digestive system) plays a key role in immune regulation, metabolism, and inflammation. Disruptions in this ecosystem have been linked to metabolic and hormonal imbalances that may make conception or pregnancy more difficult.
Previous research has already hinted that maternal gut bacteria can influence fetal growth, immune development, and placental function. This new study supports that study.
However, researchers caution that much more work is needed to understand exactly how these “good” bacteria interact within the human gut microbiome, and whether they can be safely adjusted using probiotics without unintended effects.
