Akkermansia muciniphila Associated with Improved Linear Growth among Young Children, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

To investigate the association between enteric pathogens, fecal microbes, and child growth, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 236 children 3 pathogens in their feces. We observed larger increases in height-for-age-z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up among children with Akkermansia muciniphila in their feces (coefficient 0.02 [95% CI 0.0001–0.04]; p = 0.04). Children with Cryptosporidium in their feces had larger declines in weight-for-height/length z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up (coefficient –0.03 [95% CI –0.05 to –0.005]; p = 0.02). Our study showed high prevalence of enteric pathogens among this pediatric cohort and suggests A. muciniphila can potentially serve as a probiotic to improve child growth.

Keywords

• Akkermansia muciniphila
• diarrhea
• anthropometrics
• child growth
• prospective cohort studies
• bacteria