Prompt: List and describe potential factors that the mother or the infant could be exposed to that could influence the colonization of the microbial community in the newborn infant (in positive or negative ways).
Response: Potential factors that the mother or infant could be exposed to that could influence the colonization of the microbial community of the infant seem as if it could be almost anything. Something that the mother could be exposed to when pregnant could be the things she eats and what these microbes are. Additionally, perhaps if the mother is in a very polluted area with dangerous breathing quality, this could potentially affect the infant. During pregnancy, if the mother takes probiotics or drinks kombucha, perhaps this could increase the infants microbiome diversity? After birth, the reasons listed before could also negatively affect the infant’s microbial community if they are directly exposed to it. However, things that could potentially positively impact the infant’s microbiome would having a formula that contains a diverse range of nutrients. Perhaps the mother’s breastmilk could be influenced by the mother eating nutritious foods as well.
