The mucosal surfaces of mammals are densely colonized with microorganisms that are commonly referred to as the commensal microbiota. It is believed that the fetus in utero is sterile and that colonization with microorganisms starts only after birth. Nevertheless, the unborn fetus is exposed to a multitude of metabolites that originate from the commensal microbiota of the mother that reach systemic sites of the maternal body. The intestinal microbiota is strongly personalized and influenced by environmental factors, including nutrition. Members of the maternal microbiota can metabolize dietary components, pharmaceuticals and toxins, which can subsequently be passed to the developing fetus or the breast-feeding neonate. In this Review, we discuss the complex interplay between nutrition, the maternal microbiota and ingested chemicals, and summarize their effects on immunity in the offspring.

哺乳动物的粘膜表面被通常被称为共生微生物的微生物密集地定殖。据认为胎儿在子宫内是不育的，只有在出生后才开始与微生物定植。尽管如此，未出生的胎儿仍暴露于多种代谢产物，这些代谢产物来自母亲的共生微生物群，并到达母体的全身部位。肠道菌群高度个性化，并受包括营养在内的环境因素的影响。产妇微生物群的成员可以代谢饮食成分，药物和毒素，这些成分随后可以传递给发育中的胎儿或以母乳喂养的新生儿。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了营养，母体微生物群和摄入的化学物质之间的复杂相互作用，并总结了它们对后代免疫力的影响。