Microbiota And Pregnancy: How Are They Related?
Pregnancy is a time when a woman’s body undergoes countless changes, including the microbiota. We explain all the details in today’s article.
Microbiota and pregnancy are two concepts that are more related than we might think at first. In fact, The microbiota plays a fundamental role in pregnancy. Until not so long ago, it was hardly considered that the balance of the microbiota could be important in pregnancy. Other health factors were obviously taken into account, but it has been in recent decades that this has taken center stage.
Therefore, women considering becoming pregnant are recommended to assess the state of their microbiota before and during pregnancy. Let’s look at the main reasons.
How the microbiota affects fertility
The microbiota is the set of bacteria and microorganisms that reside in an organism. In the case of humans, the best known is the intestinal microbiota, but in the body there are many other types: the oral microbiota, the lung microbiota, the urinary microbiota, the skin microbiota or the vaginal microbiota in women.
A woman’s fertility is determined by multiple factors. Thus, age, some diseases, an inadequate lifestyle or stress can cause a woman to become pregnant. He balance of the microbiota, especially the vaginal one, It also seems to be a determining factor.
A study carried out on women undergoing in vitro fertilization revealed that those who could not get pregnant using this technique suffered from dysbiosis, that is, a significant imbalance in your vaginal microbiota. In this case, the women had a significant decrease in Lactobacillus species.
Also discover: What Happens If We Consume Caffeine During Pregnancy?
According to the authors of the study, this fact could play a key role not only in the repeated failure of embryo implantation in in vitro fertilization, but also in couples who try it through natural means. Therefore, the state of the vaginal microbiota is a very important factor to take into account for any woman who wants to conceive a child.
Microbiota and pregnancy: what changes occur?
Once a woman becomes pregnant, the microbiota undergoes very important changes throughout pregnancy. In the first trimester, for example, there is a greater presence of bacteria producing short chain fatty acids (AGCC).
These SCFAs are very beneficial for health for multiple reasons. Some of them consist of being the source of energy for the most beneficial intestinal bacteria, having an anti-inflammatory effect or having a protective effect against metabolic diseases.
The third trimester of pregnancy is especially important. Thus, in a study carried out at the Women’s Hospital of Aguascalientes, it was observed that the presence of vaginal dysbiosis in the last trimester increased the risk of premature birth, as well as other complications.
It seems that one of the reasons is that the microbiota tends to be more inflammatory in the third trimester, since there is a greater presence of proteobacteria and actinobacteria compared to the first trimester. This inflammatory potential induces greater insulin resistance physiologically, and in some cases women develop gestational diabetes.
Women who suffer from it are recommended a consumption of low glycemic index foods and physical activity to reduce insulin sensitivity. If they do not improve, insulin therapy is prescribed.
It has been observed that Some women improve symptoms with diet and consumption of probiotics. This is because they rebalance the microbiota, normalize intestinal permeability and regulate the secretion of inflammatory mediators. However, more studies are necessary to obtain conclusive results.
How the mother’s microbiota affects the baby’s health
Although there are few studies in this regard, the available data confirm that Breast milk is one of the most important factors in the development of the neonatal intestinal microbiota. Let’s see the reason.
It is estimated that a breastfed baby ingests approximately 800 ml of milk per day. This means receiving between one hundred thousand and ten million bacteria. That is, the intake of breast milk guarantees a continuous supply of bacteria throughout the entire breastfeeding period.
Studies suggest that a significant portion of These bacteria would come from the mother’s intestinal microbiota and they would access the mammary gland through an internal route. Thus, the baby’s microbiota would be totally related to the mother’s microbiota via food.
Furthermore, there is a theory that There is a transfer of bacteria between mother and baby before birth. The classic dogma that the newborn’s intestine is sterile is called into question.
There is no doubt that vaginal births benefit the immune system. On the other hand, if the birth is by cesarean section, by not coming into contact with the mother’s vaginal microbiota, the newborn will be more predisposed to suffering from allergic rhinitis, asthma or obesity, among other pathologies.
Final thoughts on microbiota and pregnancy
Although the study of the microbiota is relatively recent, most research indicates that Its influence is fundamental during pregnancy. In addition, they also denote a very relevant importance during the previous phase of fertility and the subsequent phase of breastfeeding the newborn.
Taking care of the different microbiota in the body will never guarantee 100% success in terms of health. A woman can have a very balanced microbiota and still have difficulty getting pregnant or suffer complications during pregnancy. The human body is a very complex system and the influence of many variables must be understood in interaction.
However, balance in the microbiota—also called eubiosis—is synonymous with a higher degree of overall health. AND The better your health, the more likely you are to have good fertility, a good pregnancy and good breastfeeding.. Therefore, taking care of the microbiota is a factor to take into account for all those women who wish to become pregnant.
The entry Microbiota and pregnancy: how are they related? was first published in Psycom.Blog.
