In plain words
Dysbiosis means an imbalance in the community of microbes that live in the body, most often the gut. Pregnancy changes that community. Researchers have found shifts in gut bacteria across pregnancy, and they are studying whether some shifts relate to diabetes, high blood pressure, or digestive symptoms. The word is used more in research than in daily care. Constipation, bloating, and changes in digestion are common in pregnancy and have many causes. The science is still developing, and the evidence does not yet show what a healthy balance looks like for each person. Ongoing digestive symptoms are worth raising with a provider. use in pregnancy is discussed with a provider, since evidence on benefit is mixed.
The deeper version
Dysbiosis is a disruption of microbial community structure and function relative to a healthy reference, though no universal definition exists. Petersen and Round (Cellular Microbiology, 2014) argue for a definition tied to functional consequences for host immunity and disease. Koren and colleagues (Cell, 2012) documented progressive shifts in gut microbiota across pregnancy, with changes in diversity and taxa linked to metabolic adaptation. Clinical interest centers on whether dysbiosis contributes to and , whether probiotic benefits mother or infant, and how to manage the functional gastrointestinal symptoms, chiefly constipation, that pregnancy physiology produces. Causal evidence from humans is limited, and most data are observational.
Where it comes up
- Gut health before and during pregnancyBefore Pregnancy
- Keeping ducts clear: prevention habitsFeeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about dysbiosis
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Koren O et al. — Host remodeling of the gut microbiome and metabolic changes during pregnancy. Cell, 2012
- Petersen C, Round JL — Defining dysbiosis and its influence on host immunity and disease. Cellular Microbiology, 2014