{"id":770,"date":"2025-10-02T08:32:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T06:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/?post_type=news&p=770"},"modified":"2025-09-12T16:33:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:33:31","slug":"microbiome-and-growth-in-children","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/news\/microbiome-et-croissance-des-enfants\/","title":{"rendered":"When the microbiome slows children's growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

A scientific discovery about the microbiome is overturning our certainties about the intestinal health of toddlers. Imagine a garden where plants are constantly changing their DNA. This is exactly what happens in the intestines of some children who are struggling to grow up, reveals a groundbreaking study published in the prestigious journal Cell. For years, doctors and nutritionists have been repeating the same mantra: the more diverse the intestinal microbiota, the healthier it is. This new research conducted in Malawi shatters this certainty. The problem is not the diversity of microbes, but their genetic instability.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

In brief: Researchers have discovered that genetic instability in intestinal bacteria can predict growth problems in children as young as 5 months. This discovery opens the way to personalised treatments and revolutionary preventive medicine.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Bacteria that \u00abmutate\u00bb in sick children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Biologist Jeremiah Minich's team followed 47 Malawian children for almost a year, scrutinising their microbiota<\/a> with cutting-edge technology. Their discovery is astonishing: in children who do not grow normally, intestinal bacteria constantly change their genetic structure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To put it plainly: it's as if their microbes never find their equilibrium. Instead of a stable ecosystem, there is permanent genetic chaos. This instability is not insignificant. It appears from the age of 5 months<\/strong> and persists, like an early warning signal that something is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18 \u00abspy\u00bb microbes to predict microbiome disorders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the\u2019artificial intelligence<\/a>, Researchers have identified 18 species of bacteria that act as real \u00abspies\u00bb: their presence or absence can predict whether a child will have growth problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twelve of these microbes are the \u00abgood guys\u00bb - they protect normal growth. Six others are the \u00abbad guys\u00bb, associated with developmental delays. Microbial mapping opens the way to early diagnosis<\/strong>, long before any problems became visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Temporal
Genomic stability of the microbiome linked to growth: in children whose growth improves, the intestinal bacteria retain stable genomes, whereas in those whose growth is stunted, their genomes diverge sharply over time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Intestinal viruses: unexpected allies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But the surprise comes from elsewhere. Breast-fed children harbour more viruses in their intestines<\/strong> - and that's good news. These viruses, called prophets<\/strong>, seem to be the conductors of the microbial ecosystem, keeping order in this bacterial menagerie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breastfeeding mothers pass on much more than antibodies, they shape a whole microbial world<\/strong> to protect their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These discoveries may sound the death knell for \u00abgeneric\u00bb probiotics sold in pharmacies. Gone is the simplistic marketing of \u00abthe more different strains, the better\u00bb. The future belongs to tailor-made microbial cocktails, designed genome by genome.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several start-ups are already positioning themselves in this niche of \u00abprecision microbial nutrition\u00bb. The idea? Analyse a child's microbiota and offer them exactly the right bacteria, in the right proportions, at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the laboratory to the plate: the challenges to be overcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although attractive on paper, this personalised microbial medicine faces some major obstacles. Firstly, the cost: sequencing a complete microbiome still costs several hundred euros. Then there's the complexity: teams of bioinformaticians are needed to interpret these mountains of genetic data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not to mention the ethical issues involved. Should all newborn babies be systematically tested? How can we avoid creating a two-tier medical system between rich and poor countries?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another, more ethical challenge: Africa is a microbiome laboratory in spite of itself<\/strong>. Therein lies the paradox of this research: it reveals the secrets of child malnutrition by studying African children, but its commercial applications will primarily benefit developed countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u00abWe must ensure that these advances benefit the populations who need them most,\u00bb says a WHO representative contacted for this article.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Towards a new form of preventive medicine<\/strong> thanks to the microbiome<\/strong> ?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, this discovery redefines our understanding of child health<\/strong>. The intestine is no longer a simple digestive tube, but a complex ecosystem whose genetic balance determines its growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paediatricians could soon be prescribing \u00abmicrobial medicines\u00bb as naturally as they prescribe vitamins today. Parents may be scrutinising their children's microbial analyses in the same way that they monitor their children's weight. We are therefore entering the era of predictive microbial medicine. In ten years' time, knowing your microbiota will be as commonplace as knowing your blood group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A silent revolution is taking shape, hidden in the microscopic depths of our intestines. For better or for worse, our children's future may be at stake here, in this ceaseless ballet of billions of invisible microbes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Minich J. et al, \u00abGenomic instability in the gut microbiome predicts childhood growth impairment\u00bb, Cell<\/em>, January 2025. DOI : https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cell.2025.08.020<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-770","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}