Association of Housing Location and Sex with Cultivable Gut Microorganisms in Iraqi Infants

Background: The infant gut microbiota is essential for immune function, neurobehavioral development, and overall health. Therefore, studying how infants’ intestinal flora develops and what influences it is important. Early gut flora is affected by various factors, including internal ones such as maternal and infant-related aspects, and external environmental fac-tors like geographic location. Objective: To determine the diversity of the gut microbiota of Iraqi infants under two years of age by gender and by housing location (urban and rural). Methods: We collected 248 fecal specimens from infants under two years; 291 microbial isolates were identified by traditional methods (Gram staining, microscopy, biochemical tests), and bacterial growth was achieved using multiple culture media; the definitive diagnosis was then performed by sequence analysis. Results: The study shows a diverse intestinal microbiota, with fourteen species identified for the first time in Iraqi infants as newly identified strains in this community. Significant differences between urban and rural housing areas were found: the chi-square statistic is 19.541, p<0.005, and the result is significant at p≤0.05. For the gut microbiome and related to the housing location, the chi-square statistic is 53.68. The p<0.0001.The result is significant at p<0.05, and the differences between females and males have a chi-square statistic of 48.22. The p<0.0001. The result is significant at p<0.05. Conclusions: Significant differences were revealed between the culture-dependent microbial isolates and strains across the regional study, with variation associated with the housing location factor and the infant’s sex. These findings suggest that the infant intestinal microbiota is dynamic and that its diversity is shaped by a combination of biological sex-related factors and environmental conditions linked to the place of residence.