Hong Kong study finds gut bacteria may protect infant brain from autism and ADHD signs
Researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong tracked nearly a thousand infants from birth to age three. Babies with epigenetic risk for autism or ADHD showed fewer signs if they acquired specific gut microbes in their first year. The study appeared in Cell Press Blue.
A Cell Press Blue study from The Chinese University of Hong Kong analyzed DNA methylation in cord blood from 571 babies and gut microbiome samples from 969 infants at 2, 6 and 12 months. By age three, certain epigenetic patterns paired with specific microbes lined up with early signs of autism and ADHD, but Lachnospira (for autism patterns) and Parabacteroides (for ADHD patterns) appeared protective. Delivery method, antibiotics and breastfeeding shaped which microbes took hold. Lab studies still need to confirm the link.