Gut bacteria linked to anxiety-like behaviours in children
The Barwon Infant Study (BIS) – a collaboration between the Barwon Health Child Health Research Unit, Deakin University and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute – is the first to show that children with a lower amount of Prevotella at age one are more likely to have anxiety-like behaviours at two.
The research team examined data from 201 children, analysing faecal samples at one, six and 12 months of age, then measuring behavioural outcomes at two years.
They found children with a lower abundance of the bacteria Prevotella in their poo at 12 months of age had a higher prevalence of anxiety-like behaviours, including shyness, sadness and an internal focus, an indicator they may be at higher risk of going on to develop childhood anxiety.
Dr Amy Loughman said the study also added to the growing evidence supporting the role of the infant gut microbiota for neurodevelopment and mental health in later life. In previous cross-sectional studies Prevotella abundance has been associated with both autism and Parkinson’s disease.
The research team now hope to build further evidence to consider Prevotella as a gut bacteria key to both identifying health risk, and potentially, as an intervention to improve health outcomes.
The full publication can be read here.