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Population health

Immaturity in the gut microbial community

Nature volume 510, pages 344–345 (2014)Cite this article

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Undernourished children fall behind not only on growth, but also on maturation of their intestinal bacterial communities, according to a study comparing acutely malnourished and healthy Bangladeshi children. See Letter p.417

Growth faltering in early childhood is the hallmark of undernutrition, a pervasive condition in the developing world that arises from insufficient intake, absorption or assimilation of nutrients. Undernutrition results from scarce and nutrient-poor food, poor-quality water and unsanitary living conditions. Recurrent bouts of gastrointestinal infections exacerbate and perpetuate the problem2. Positive feedback loops can ensue both in individuals, when intestinal damage reinforces poor growth and susceptibility to infection, and over generations, when maternal undernutrition causes undernutrition in children. Over time, these cycles can impair learning, limit productivity and ultimately perpetuate poverty. Maternal and child undernutrition were a factor in 3.1 million (45% of all) deaths in children under 5 years of age in 20113. Children under 2 are particularly vulnerable to undernutrition (and infection), but are also the most responsive to treatment4.

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MD. Sohag Sarker & Bijoya Sarker

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Elizabeth K. Costello and David A. Relman are in the Departments of Medicine and of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5124, USA, and at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.,

    Elizabeth K. Costello & David A. Relman

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  1. Elizabeth K. Costello
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  2. David A. Relman
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Correspondence to Elizabeth K. Costello or David A. Relman.

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Costello, E., Relman, D. Immaturity in the gut microbial community. Nature 510, 344–345 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13347

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