The development of a child’s skin microbiome is related with the growth of the immune system and skin environment. In a study Skin samples from the three body sites (Fa, face; Ca, calf; Vf, ventral forearm) from 158 children (aged between 1 and 10 years) and 50 of their mothers were analyzed to evaluate the possible association between the skin bacterial communities and physiological skin parameters at three different sites: Fa, Vf, and Ca. Fa is considered a sebaceous site, whereas Vf and Ca are considered dry sites

The outcomes suggest that the skin microbiome of mothers are pointedly more similar to that of their own children than to that of distinct children. There was a prominent, positive relationship between the most profuse bacteria in mothers and their children transversely the three skin sites analyzed.

The evolution of skin microbial communities during childhood is vital for the skin health of children and growth of the immune system into adulthood. This requires a better classification of the environmental and genetic factors influencing these microbiome dynamics. Through analyzing the microbial community structure at three very different skin sites of children, it was revealed that the skin microbiome is powerfully affected by the nearby micro-environment and that the alpha variety of the skin micro-biome increases during childhood, signifying that the bacterial population on a child’s skin is, to a large extent, similar to that of their mothers and is affected by the delivery mode in the long-term. Maternal influences can play an imperative role in determining the child’s microbiome.

Source: J Invest Dermatol. 2019;139(12):2497-2505.e6. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2019.05.018