Human milk does more than nourish, it also delivers beneficial microbes that help build the infant gut microbiome. A new study from the University of Chicago offers the most detailed look yet at how bacterial strains in breast milk are transferred to babies. The findings shed new light on early-life microbial transmission and its potential impact on long-term health.
Childhood is a crucial period for building the gut microbiome, yet it remains one of its least studied phases. Le French Gut Kids aims to fill this gap by analyzing gut microbiota and lifestyle data from children and adolescents across France. The project seeks to better understand how early gut development may influence health throughout life.
Scientists uncover common patterns in infant gut microbiome development on four continents
23 Jul 2025by Mónica Quinzo
The gut microbiome’s early development is essential for infant health, but does it follow the same path worldwide? A new study reveals that despite geographical and cultural differences, infants undergo similar microbial changes in their intestines. Understanding the universal patterns of early gut microbiome succession offers a promising avenue for improving infant health worldwide.
The microbial colonization of a baby's gut is primarily influenced by the mother's vaginal microbiota during birth and by breast milk. Two new studies have found for the first time that fathers also contribute to the establishment of the baby's microbiota, which could have health implications.
What lies beneath a dirty diaper? (Spoiler: thousands of unknown allied viruses!)
15 Nov 2023by Cristina Sáez
An international team of scientists has studied diaper samples of nearly 650 healthy 1-year-old babies for 5 years and has discovered 10,000 species of viruses, most of them unknown until now. Far from causing children to be sick, those viruses are thought to be true allies, playing an important role in protecting us from chronic diseases.
Early exposure to air pollution linked to negative changes in infant gut microbiota
25 Oct 2022by Cristina Sáez
Inhaling air pollutants during the first 6 months of life could affect a baby’s intestinal bacteria, causing changes in its composition associated with a higher risk of developing allergies, obesity and diabetes, and even influence brain development, concludes a new study.
What is bifidobacteria’s role in establishing a healthy infant gut microbiome and immune system?
20 Jun 2022by Andreu Prados
The role of the infant gut microbiome in immunological development is largely mediated by bifidobacteria. This article updates what factors affect bifidobacteria colonization in the gut and why bifidobacteria are relevant for infants, and reveals the groups of infants that will benefit from supplementation with bifidobacterial.
Although it was previously thought that the infant gut microbiota would attain an adult-like structure by the age of 3, recent studies have suggested that the gut community of microorganisms continues to evolve in both pre-adolescents and 20-year-olds.
Gut microbiota disturbance following antibiotic use at an early age is associated with behavioral disorders in infants
3 Mar 2021by Manon Oliero
While there is a lack of studies aiming to understand how the gut microbiota evolves during infancy to cause neuronal disorders, Amy Loughman’s recently published an article considering this subject.
Maternal psychological distress after birth can affect a child’s gut microbiota development and thus, their overall health, according to a recent study.
