New research strengthens link between the gut microbiome and behavioural development

New research suggests that there is a connection between gut health and behaviour development. 260 children took part in the study, with parents  providing gut health samples when their children were 6 weeks, 1 year and 2 years old. At 3 years parents completed a Behavioural Assessment System for Children to assess behavioural development. The research team recruited the 206 children from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. The aim of this research was to provide evidence between gut health and behaviour in children, as previous research has mainly used non-human data. Researchers chose to look at the gut health and development from 6 weeks to 3 years, as the gut and brain go through their most rapid development during this time. From this research the team were able to discern that microbiome changes happen before behavioural changes. The team were also able to tell that microbiomes in young children were related to neurobehaviors such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity. Read more here.