Chapter 8: Microbiome and pediatric obesity, malnutrition, and nutrition

Increasingly, it is appreciated that the neonatal enteric microbiome and the human host are intricately connected with alterations in each affecting the other. This chapter discusses the role of the neonatal enteric microbiome on the later development of pediatric malnutrition and obesity. Scientific studies that have explored the association of diet, the development of the neonatal enteric microbiome, and the association with varying nutritional phenotypes are highlighted. With this literature review, we examine potential therapeutic or preventative therapies aimed at targeting the neonatal enteric microbiome to improve the host’s nutritional status, and we discuss future directions within this innovative field of study.