➡️These bacteria may interact with brain microstructure via tryptophan and propionate metabolism

➡️New avenues for neuroprotection in preterm infants via gut microbiota modification?

Led by Dr Kadi Vaher in collab with @dbogaert.bsky.social

#TheirworldEBC

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This study was part of the REspiratory Syncytial virus Consortium in EUrope (RESCEU).
Credits to first authors Maartje Kristensen and Wouter de Steenhuijsen Piters for their thorough work.
We are grateful to all participating children and parents and all clinical research teams involved.

This works highlights a potential important role for resident respiratory microbes at time of RSV infection, in severity of disease, and provides novel clues how those microbes may be also be involved in longer term respiratory problems following RSV disease.

6. Importantly, also during the recovery phase, the respiratory microbiota composition was linked with the presence of residual respiratory symptoms.

3. The respiratory microbiota composition is however most strongly related with severity of RSV disease.

4. Haemophilus, Streptococcus, and Moraxella abundances are linked to severe disease, whereas

5. Dolosigranulum and Corynebacterium abundances are associated with mild disease and health.

Highlights:
1. The neonatal respiratory microbiota is not associated with risk of consecutive RSV disease risk and only modestly associated with RSV disease severity.

2. Respiratory microbiota during RSV infections are different from respiratory microbiota of healthy control children.

A majority of the respondents cited optimal protection for the child and knowledge of RSV disease as important factors for accepting RSV prophylaxis.

First author: Dr. Lisette Harteveld. Senior author: Dr. Marlies van Houten.

Link (temporarily open access):
authors.elsevier.com/c/1kBMj,60n7...

When the choice was given, the majority of participants, in particular those with children and the intention to breastfeed their infant, favoured maternal vaccination over passive immunization of infants (75.3 % of the pregnant women and 71.6 % of the partners).

87% of pregnant women would (likely) accept both strategies to protect infants from RSV. 75.3% of pregnant women prefer maternal over neonatal immunization.
A positive attitude (both methods) was associated with previous experience with severe RSV, parental vaccination (childhood & pregnancy).