Mouth Bacteria Could Indicate Whether Toddlers Will Become Obese

reports researchers “believe the bacteria that live in a toddler’s mouth could provide clues as to whether they will become obese.” After collecting “the gut and oral microbiota of 226 two-year-old children by swabbing their mouths and taking stool samples,” investigators found that “children with rapid infant weight gain – a growth pattern which is a key indicator of whether a baby will become obese – were found to have a less diverse range of microbes in their mouths.” In addition, they “had a higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes bacteria in their oral microbiota than the others.” The findings were published online in Scientific Reports. https://www.newsweek.com/your-childs-mouth-could-reveal-their-obesity-risk-1127850