Nourishing the Microbiome at Preschool age: Dietary influences from infancy to present

Diet is a key driver of the gut microbiota composition and diversity throughout the lifespan. 
In infancy, the gut microbiota development follows largely predictable patterns of maturation shaped by early exposures, such as birth mode, exposure to intrapartum antibiotics and breastfeeding (Fahur et al., 2025). During the first 6 months of life, exclusive breastfeeding is associated to lower gut microbiota diversity and higher relative abundance of bifidobacteria, while formula feeding associates to earlier and higher microbiota diversity and maturity (Ho et al., 2018). Formula feeding promotes infant gut microbiota maturity by increasing Bacteroidetes and adult type Clostridia that otherwise become abundant only after the introduction of (plant-based) solid foods.