The period immediately following birth is vital to the development of a healthy neonatal intestinal microbiome. As any environment the primary colonisers of the neonatal gastrointestinal tract pave the way for further colonisation. For this reason the first 18 months of life are considered crucial to the development of a healthy neonatal microbiota. When regular preliminary colonisation fails to proceed, the fine balance between the numerous members of the microbiota can be disturbed, which can manifest in a number of disease states, including necrotising enterocolitis and neonatal sepsis. This chapter aims to identify the differences between and possible causes of bacterial symbiosis and dysbiosis within the neonatal gastrointestinal tract. The pathology of associated disease states will also be explained.
Keywords: diseases of infancy, treatment, prevention, symbiosis, dysbiosis, immune response
