On December 15, 2023, the International Journal of Obesity published the results of a study conducted by CRESS researchers (Marie-Aline Charles, Gaël Toubon & Pierre-Yves Ancel) on the Association between gut microbiota at 3.5 years of age and body mass index at 5 years: results from two French nationwide birth cohorts.
Background/research objectives: The relationship between gut microbiota and changes in body mass index (BMI) or pediatric overweight in early life is unclear, and information concerning the preterm population is scarce. This study investigated how gut microbiota at age 3.5 years is associated with subsequent BMI at 5 years.
The results indicate that gut microbiota at 3.5 years is associated with BMI later in childhood, irrespective of preterm or full-term birth, suggesting that changes in gut microbiota that may predispose to obesity in adulthood begin in early childhood.
Marie-Aline Charles, Gaël Toubon & Pierre-Yves Ancel
