Metabonomics in Neonatal and Paediatric Research: Studying and Modulating Gut Functional Ecology for Optimal Growth and Development

Gut microbiota play a fundamental role in human health by promoting intestinal homeostasis, stimulating development of the immune system, and providing protection against pathogens. Relatively little is known about the acquisition and development of this complex microbial community during infancy. However, emerging ‘omics’ technologies are now being applied to the study of the gut microbial ecology, generating new opportunities to deepen the functions of the gut microbiota in human health. All the published literature on paediatric and neonatal nutrimetabonomics is presented in a synthetic way, including studies on maternal milk and formula. The role of the disruption of the gut microbiota in various gastrointestinal diseases is considered, focusing the metabonomics approach in gut ischemia, chronic inflammatory diseases, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and obesity. As a general rule, the best biofluid to study nutrition or to identify food-specific biomarkers is urine. In food consumption monitoring, the same concepts behind drug testing and drug monitoring can be used. In the opinion of the authors, in the near future, improved tools for the analysis of the metabolic profile (simplified like ‘dipsticks’ for urine) and its integration with the other ‘omics’ data will move metabonomics beside the child, from top research to bedside.