Escherichia coli-derived enterobactin is associated with delayed gut microbiome maturation in infants born to mothers with obesity.

Infants born to mothers with obesity show delayed gut microbiome maturation, with increased Enterobacteriaceae and antibiotic resistance genes, notably 12 months after birth.

• Why it matters: Understanding how maternal obesity influences early microbiome development is crucial because early microbial disturbances can impact long-term health and disease risk.
• What they did: The study analyzed fecal samples from mothers and infants over the first year using shotgun metagenomic sequencing, focusing on microbiome composition, ARGs, and virulence factors in 50 mother-infant pairs.
• The result: Findings reveal that maternal obesity is linked to delayed microbial succession, higher resistome burden, and increased virulence traits like enterobactin production, potentially affecting infant health trajectories.