Immaturity in the gut microbial community

摘要

Effective assessments of child growth rely on a knowledge of underlying processes, appropriate standards and accurate measurements. These elements form a comparative framework with which trajectories can be charted and developmental milestones marked, providing 'actionable intelligence' on health and disease in individuals and populations. In this issue, Subramanian et al. (page 417) chart a different path - one in which the milestones are microbial - for young children living in the Mirpur urban slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh, many of whom suffer from undernutrition (Fig. 1). The authors find evidence for delays in the development of gut bacterial communities in acutely malnourished children compared with healthy children, and that these delays are only fleetingly ameliorated by standard treatment. The team's approach for classifying and tracking gut microbiota may enhance assessments of childhood health and development, and improve therapeutic strategies.