The Infant Gut Microbiota and Socio-Emotional Development at Ages 4–6
Kirvesmäki, Emmi (2025)
2025
Psykologian maisteriohjelma - Master's Programme in Psychology
Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2025-08-05
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202508048045
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202508048045
Tiivistelmä
Introduction. A child’s early socio-emotional skills are known to have an impact on later well-being. Prior studies have connected gut microbiota to factors relevant to socio-emotional development, such as negative emotionality. Also, previous research has linked early-life gut microbiota to early appearing neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, which is characterized by socio-emotional challenges. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that early gut microbiota could be related to later socio-emotional development also in neurotypical children.
The gut microbiota is known to regulate brain function and contribute to the development of neurological diseases through a bidirectional microbiota-gut-brain axis. Child’s gut microbiota undergoes major changes during the first three years of life before it becomes more stable. It has been suggested that during these years there are different periods of sensitivity when the gut microbiota may have a particular impact on the neurodevelopment of child. The aim of this study was to examine whether gut microbiota composition and diversity measured at one year of age is associated with socio-emotional development measured at 4-6 years of age among neurotypical children.
Methods. The participants (n = 236) of the study were derived from the Health and the Early Life Microbiota (HELMi)-cohort. Stool samples were analysed with 16s rRNA sequencing. Microbiota diversity was assessed with alpha diversity (i.e. Shannon Diversity Index) and composition with beta diversity (i.e. Aitchison distance), bacterial clusters and by exploring the role of individual bacterial genera. Socio-emotional development was assessed using parent-rated Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Socio Emotional-2. Children were divided into low- and high-risk socio-emotional challenges groups. Associations between gut microbiota and socio-emotional development were analysed using logistic regression, PERMANOVA and MaAsLin2. Analyses were carried out in pooled data controlling for sex and each sex separately. Analyses were run after controlling for potential covariates.
Results. For boys, lower gut microbiota diversity at one-year of age was associated with a higher risk for socio-emotional challenges at 4-6 years of age (OR = 0.331; 95 % Cl: 0.11–0.89, p = .033). No other statistically significant associations between gut microbiota diversity or composition and socio-emotional development were found.
Conclusion. This thesis provides valuable information on the role of the gut microbiota in the socio-emotional development of neurotypical children of each sex. The results suggest that higher gut microbiota diversity is associated with more favourable socio-emotional development in boys. The findings of this thesis support the notion that future gut microbiome-brain axis studies should consider the sexes separately.
The gut microbiota is known to regulate brain function and contribute to the development of neurological diseases through a bidirectional microbiota-gut-brain axis. Child’s gut microbiota undergoes major changes during the first three years of life before it becomes more stable. It has been suggested that during these years there are different periods of sensitivity when the gut microbiota may have a particular impact on the neurodevelopment of child. The aim of this study was to examine whether gut microbiota composition and diversity measured at one year of age is associated with socio-emotional development measured at 4-6 years of age among neurotypical children.
Methods. The participants (n = 236) of the study were derived from the Health and the Early Life Microbiota (HELMi)-cohort. Stool samples were analysed with 16s rRNA sequencing. Microbiota diversity was assessed with alpha diversity (i.e. Shannon Diversity Index) and composition with beta diversity (i.e. Aitchison distance), bacterial clusters and by exploring the role of individual bacterial genera. Socio-emotional development was assessed using parent-rated Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Socio Emotional-2. Children were divided into low- and high-risk socio-emotional challenges groups. Associations between gut microbiota and socio-emotional development were analysed using logistic regression, PERMANOVA and MaAsLin2. Analyses were carried out in pooled data controlling for sex and each sex separately. Analyses were run after controlling for potential covariates.
Results. For boys, lower gut microbiota diversity at one-year of age was associated with a higher risk for socio-emotional challenges at 4-6 years of age (OR = 0.331; 95 % Cl: 0.11–0.89, p = .033). No other statistically significant associations between gut microbiota diversity or composition and socio-emotional development were found.
Conclusion. This thesis provides valuable information on the role of the gut microbiota in the socio-emotional development of neurotypical children of each sex. The results suggest that higher gut microbiota diversity is associated with more favourable socio-emotional development in boys. The findings of this thesis support the notion that future gut microbiome-brain axis studies should consider the sexes separately.