AUTHOR=Zakaria Zain Zaki , Al-Rumaihi Shouq , Al-Absi Rana S. , Farah Huda , Elamin Muram , Nader Rahaf , Bouabidi Salma , Suleiman Sara Elgaili , Nasr Shahd , Al-Asmakh Maha 

TITLE=Physiological Changes and Interactions Between Microbiome and the Host During Pregnancy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.824925

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2022.824925

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=Abstract
In recent years, it has become clear that microbiomes play a variety of essential roles in human metabolism, immunity, and overall health and that the composition of these microbiomes is influenced by our environment, diet, weight, hormones, and other factors. Indeed, numerous physiological and pathological conditions, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, are associated with changes in our microbiomes, referred to as dysbiosis. Therefore, it is not unexpected that such changes occur during pregnancy, which involves dramatic weight gain and pronounced alterations in metabolism and immunological defences. The present review relates physiological changes during pregnancy to alterations in the microbial composition at various sites, including the gut, oral cavity, and vagina. Pregnancy has been linked to such microbial changes, and we believe that, in contrast to certain disease states, these microbial changes are vital for a healthy pregnancy, probably through their influence on the mother’s immunological, endocrinological, and metabolic status.