Figure 4.

Relationship between maternal obesity, imbalanced gut microbiota, and host pathophysiology. Although maternal obesity is associated with significant alterations in the infant gut microbiome, the functional consequences of the early microbiome on changes in disease pathways have not been investigated. Animal models suggest that gut microbe disruption in early life profoundly alters development of the innate and adaptive immune system and offspring behavior. The increase in SCFA-producing bacteria found in infants born to obese mothers suggests that the initial microbes necessary for immune development and metabolic health are compromised.