Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the diagnostic role of meconium microbiota as a source of information about the intrauterine environment of the developing fetus and possibly health and disease in later life.
Methods: The literature review of over 30 papers published in international journals in the years 2001-2017, on the bacterial composition of meconium and early feces, investigated by metagenomic DNA sequencing in experimental studies on animals and clinical studies in neonates born after normal and pathological pregnancies.
Results: The bacterial composition of meconium reflects the in utero microbial environment. Bacterial colonization of the fetal gut is a source of microbial stimulation and may provide a primary signal for the maturation of a balanced postnatal innate and adaptive immune system. Clarification of a possible relationship between the presence of specific bacteria in meconium and their active role in the abnormal course of pregnancy may improve our knowledge of the pathomechanisms modifying the intrauterine environment with short- and long-term effects on the immune system and metabolic pathways.
Conclusion: Diversified intrauterine microbiome may modify the environment of the developing fetus with possible short- and long-term impact on the individual's health and disease. Meconium which provides the individual-specific information about the intrauterine microbiome composition is a biological material with potential uses in routine clinical diagnostic practice.
Keywords: Fetus; meconium; microbiome; perinatal programing; pregnancy.