Deflorin Nadia, Ehlert Ulrike, Amiel Castro Rita T
From the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Biopsychosoc Sci Med. 2025 Jan 1;87(1):33-45. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001351.
Human milk (HM) is considered the best source of infant nutrition with many benefits for the infant. However, pregnancy changes can lead to increased stress in some women, which might affect HM composition. Although studies have demonstrated a link between maternal psychopathology and child development, it remains unclear how maternal psychobiological changes can be intergenerationally transmitted. We aimed to investigate the associations of maternal stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms with the HM microbiome; to analyze these parameters in relation to HM glucocorticoid concentrations; and to explore the influence of HM glucocorticoids on HM bacterial composition.
One hundred women completed psychological questionnaires (e.g., EPDS, STAI, GAS) at 34-36 weeks' gestation and in the early postpartum period and provided saliva at 34-36 and 38 weeks' gestation. HM samples were collected in the early postpartum. Microbiota were analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.
Birth anxiety was negatively correlated with Alphaproteobacteria (τ = -0.20, FDR = 0.01), whereas in the postpartum period, anxiety symptoms were negatively correlated with different taxa. The sum of postpartum-related symptoms was linked to lower Propionibacteriales. Salivary cortisol AUCg at 34-36 weeks was negatively correlated with Stenotrophomonas (τ = -0.24, FDR = 0.05), whereas HM cortisol was positively correlated with Streptococcus mitis (τ = 0.26, FDR = 0.03) and Gemella haemolysans (τ = 0.24, FDR = 0.02). No associations emerged between psychobiological parameters and HM glucocorticoids.
Higher perinatal psychological symptoms and prenatal salivary cortisol AUCg were associated with lower relative abundances of different bacteria, whereas higher HM cortisol was linked to higher Gemella and Streptococcus. These findings suggest a negative association between high maternal psychobiological symptoms and relative abundances of the milk microbiota.
母乳被认为是婴儿营养的最佳来源，对婴儿有诸多益处。然而，孕期变化可能导致部分女性压力增加，这可能会影响母乳成分。尽管研究已证明母亲精神病理学与儿童发育之间存在联系，但母亲心理生物学变化如何进行代际传递仍不清楚。我们旨在研究母亲压力、抑郁症状和焦虑症状与母乳微生物群之间的关联；分析这些参数与母乳糖皮质激素浓度的关系；并探讨母乳糖皮质激素对母乳细菌组成的影响。
100名女性在妊娠34 - 36周和产后早期完成了心理问卷（如爱丁堡产后抑郁量表、状态 - 特质焦虑量表、一般适应综合征量表），并在妊娠34 - 36周和38周时提供唾液。产后早期收集母乳样本。使用16S rRNA扩增子测序分析微生物群。
分娩焦虑与α - 变形菌纲呈负相关（τ = -0.20，错误发现率 = 0.01），而在产后阶段，焦虑症状与不同的分类群呈负相关。产后相关症状的总和与丙酸杆菌目较低有关。妊娠34 - 36周时唾液皮质醇曲线下面积与嗜麦芽窄食单胞菌呈负相关（τ = -0.24，错误发现率 = 0.05），而母乳皮质醇与缓症链球菌呈正相关（τ = 0.26，错误发现率 = 0.03）和溶血孪生球菌呈正相关（τ = 0.24，错误发现率 = 0.02）。心理生物学参数与母乳糖皮质激素之间未发现关联。
围产期较高的心理症状和产前唾液皮质醇曲线下面积与不同细菌的相对丰度较低有关，而较高的母乳皮质醇与较高的孪生球菌属和链球菌属有关。这些发现表明母亲心理生物学症状较高与母乳微生物群相对丰度之间存在负相关。
