Comparative Analysis of Salivary Bacterial Microbiome Diversity in Edentulous Infants and Their Mothers
Author Information
Author(s): Cephas Kimberly D., Kim Juhee, Mathai Rose Ann, Barry Kathleen A., Dowd Scot E., Meline Brandon S., Swanson Kelly S.
Primary Institution: University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
Hypothesis
The infant salivary bacterial microbiome would be less diverse than that of adults.
Conclusion
The study found that while the adult saliva bacterial microbiome had a greater operational taxonomical unit (OTU) count than infants, a rich bacterial community exists in the infant oral cavity prior to tooth eruption.
Supporting Evidence
- High bacterial diversity was noted in the saliva of adults and infants.
- Streptococcus was the predominant genera in infant saliva, accounting for 62.2% of all sequences.
- Of the 28 genera different between infants and adults, 27 had a greater prevalence in adults.
Takeaway
Researchers looked at the saliva of babies without teeth and their mothers to see what kinds of bacteria were there. They found that babies have a lot of different bacteria even before they get their teeth.
Methodology
Saliva samples were collected from 5 edentulous infants and their mothers, and analyzed using pyrosequencing to characterize the salivary bacterial microbiome.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small number of participants and reliance on self-reported demographics.
Limitations
The small sample size limits the ability to generalize findings.
Participant Demographics
5 edentulous infants (4 males, 1 female) and their primary caregivers (4 biological mothers, 1 grandmother), with a mean age of 4.6 months for infants and 30.8 years for adults.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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