The Impact of Baby Gut Microbes on Early Cognitive Skills

A small exploratory study has found associations between specific gut microbes in infants and their performance in tests of early cognitive development. The study analyzed data from 56 infants and revealed that certain microbiome compositions were linked to success in cognitive tests such as social attention and rhythmic processing. However, no connection was found between the microbiome and brain blood flow during speech processing. While these findings suggest a potential influence of the microbiome on cognitive development, further research is needed to confirm and clarify this role.