Neonatal mouse gut microbiome and hypoxic brain injury

Premature infants are often lacking a normal microbial community, or microbiota, in their intestines that naturally should have come from mothers. Infants are also exposed to unnatural microbiota in the hospital environment which results in abnormal intestinal colonization. Premature infants are often at risk of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, considered as one of the major factors leading to motor, sensory and cognitive deficits. The study examines the effect of gut microbiota on hypoxia-induced neonatal brain injury utilizing a mouse model. Mouse pups were gavaged with pathogenic (E.coli) or beneficial bacteria (B.infantis) strains and studied for resistance of the brain to hypoxia.