Figure 1.

Early life adverse exposures might contribute to irritable bowel syndrome in adulthood. Adverse exposures in early life disturb the gut microbiota of infants and influence the brain-gut-microbiota axis, and these exposures include maternal diet exposure such as high fat diet, stress, drug use in pregnancy, cesarean section (C-section) and low birth weight, formula feeding of infants. These effects may directly or indirectly increase susceptibility of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the childhood and even adulthood.