In Utero Exposure to Caffeine and Acetaminophen, the Gut Microbiome, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Hannah E. Laue, Yike Shen, Tessa R. Bloomquist, Haotian Wu, Kasey J. M. Brennan, Raphael Cassoulet, Erin Wilkie, Virginie Gillet, Anne-Sandrine Desautels, Nadia Abdelouahab, Jean Philippe Bellenger, Heather H. Burris, Brent A. Coull, Marc G. Weisskopf, Wei Zhang, Larissa Takser and Andrea A. Baccarelli
Additional contact information
Hannah E. Laue: Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
Yike Shen: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
Tessa R. Bloomquist: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
Haotian Wu: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
Kasey J. M. Brennan: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
Raphael Cassoulet: Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Erin Wilkie: Département de Pédiatrie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Virginie Gillet: Département de Pédiatrie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Anne-Sandrine Desautels: Département de Pédiatrie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Nadia Abdelouahab: Département de Pédiatrie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Jean Philippe Bellenger: Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Heather H. Burris: Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Brent A. Coull: Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Marc G. Weisskopf: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Wei Zhang: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Larissa Takser: Département de Pédiatrie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Andrea A. Baccarelli: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-14

Abstract: Pregnant individuals are exposed to acetaminophen and caffeine, but it is unknown how these exposures interact with the developing gut microbiome. We aimed to determine whether acetaminophen and/or caffeine relate to the childhood gut microbiome and whether features of the gut microbiome alter the relationship between acetaminophen/caffeine and neurodevelopment. Forty-nine and 85 participants provided meconium and stool samples at 6–7, respectively, for exposure and microbiome assessment. Fecal acetaminophen and caffeine concentrations were quantified, and fecal DNA underwent metagenomic sequencing. Caregivers and study staff assessed the participants’ motor and cognitive development using standardized scales. Prenatal exposures had stronger associations with the childhood microbiome than concurrent exposures. Prenatal acetaminophen exposure was associated with a trend of lower gut bacterial diversity in childhood [β = −0.17 Shannon Index, 95% CI: (−0.31, −0.04)] and was marginally associated with differences in the relative abundances of features of the gut microbiome at the phylum (Firmicutes, Actinobacteria) and gene pathway levels. Among the participants with a higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria, prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and caffeine was associated with lower scores on WISC-IV subscales. Acetaminophen during bacterial colonization of the naïve gut is associated with lasting alterations in childhood microbiome composition. Future studies may inform our understanding of downstream health effects.

Keywords: acetaminophen; caffeine; microbiome; neurodevelopment; children’s health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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