Study: Exposure to microbes in early childhood home may affect cognition and behaviour in children

Early childhood is a critical period for both immune and neural development. Interactions between immune system and neurons are believed to help regulate synaptic plasticity, which is critical for learning. In how far microbial exposure during early life might play a role in this interaction has been little explored.

In a recent study, researchers from the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL) and Leuven and Antwerp Universities in Belgium, examined the associations between the house dust microbiota which the children were exposed to during early life and metrics of behaviour and cognitive function. 

To learn more, researchers examined the microbes in dust samples from the homes of 172 children aged 4 to 6 years and tested their cognitive abilities and behaviour with help of questionnaires and specific tasks. Among others, metrics of hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, peer relationship, attention, psychomotor speed, or visual recognition were assessed.  

The research team found that children exposed to indoor dust with higher total microbial quantities had more cognitive difficulties and longer response times. On the other hand, higher diversity specifically in indoor airborne fungi was found to be associated with better behavioural and cognitive outcomes in the children, including less hyperactivity and improved attention.

“We don’t yet fully understand the patterns and mechanisms behind these complex results and we certainly need further studies to confirm our findings before drawing strong conclusions. Nevertheless, the results of our study bring highly novel information and point towards that indoor microbial exposures during early life indeed seem to be relevant also for neural development and may affect cognition and behaviour outcomes in children. So there is one more reason why we should care about the microbes we are exposed to,” says leading researcher Martin Täubel from THL.

More information

Dockx, Täubel et al. Association of indoor dust microbiota with cognitive function and behavior of preschool-aged children, Microbiome. Video of the main results of the study has been published with the article.

Martin Täubel
leading researcher
THL
puh. +358 29 524 6466
[email protected]