The 16p11.2 microdeletion influences how early-life microbiota perturbations affect hippocampal development and behavior throughout the lifespan.

Neurodevelopmental disorders result from interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental risk factors, with infancy being the most vulnerable period. We designed a longitudinal study to determine how short-term antibiotic exposure during early postnatal life impacts the gut microbiome, neurodevelopment, and behavior, and whether these alterations were exacerbated by the neurodevelopmental disorder-associated 16p11.2 microdeletion (16pDel) mutation.