UK research, using mice, has revealed that conditions in a mother’s gut during pregnancy influences brain development in her unborn baby.

The microbiome of the gut is an environment where trillions of microorganisms live in the human digestive tract, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and has been recently shown to play a key role in immune function, and even mental health and the brain.

Researchers, at the University of Cambridge, found that altering the gut microbiome in pregnant mice led to significant changes in the brain development of their offspring, particularly in the hippocampus area, which is critical for learning and memory.

First author of the study, published in Molecular Metabolism, Jorge Lopez-Tello said: “Our study suggests that by providing ‘good bacteria’ to the mother we could improve the growth and development of her baby while she’s pregnant.”