Early-life microbiota in the LIMIT cohort: unveiling neonatal microbiota types beyond maternal lifestyle

This dataset originates from the LIMIT prospective birth cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04960670), it contains data and associated metadata from the LIMIT cohort study on meconium microbiota (i.e. Time 0 only). the LIMIT study is designed to investigate the interplay between maternal lifestyle and environmental factors, infant growth, and gut microbiota development. For the present analysis, 200 pregnant women were initially enrolled at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia, Italy) between October 2022 and June 2024. Based on inclusion criteria and sample availability, 168 mother–infant pairs were selected. Samples data were collected togheter with maternal information on pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and selected lifestyle/environmental factors. Dataset content included the raw-derived data from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences (V1–V8 regions) generated using the Oxford Nanopore PromethION platform and sample-related metadata, including pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and selected lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity, smoking habits), collected through validated questionnaires and structured interviews. The data allow for the investigation of microbial community composition, diversity metrics, and clustering patterns in neonatal meconium, as well as their potential associations with maternal anthropometric and lifestyle variables.