Archives des Early Life & Infants

The first 1,000 days of life: the prominence of bifidobacteria for infants’ gut microbiota development and later health outcomes

4 Mar 2022

by Konstantina Zafeiropoulou

The first 2-3 years of life are crucial for shaping childhood health. Amid others, the importance of early-life gut microbiota in infant’s development and later human health has been long speculated. In particular, bifidobacteria are playing an essential role in infant’s gut microbiota and immune system maturation that supports its probiotic use in that age span.

Fungi are not universally present in human milk and are shaped by early life factors and the outdoor environment

6 Jul 2020

by Andreu Prados

Bacteria in human milk play an important role in kick-starting the colonization of an infant’s gut. Researchers are looking at how perinatal and environmental factors may shape the overlooked fungi in breast milk.

2019 at a glance: Breakthroughs in the emerging role of gut microbiome in health and disease

13 Jan 2020

by GMFH Editing Team

Important scientific progress has been made in 2019 in our understanding of the contribution of gut microbiome in health and disease. Have a look at this “2019 Year at a glance” report and discover the year’s breakthroughs in the field.

Scientists find a link between delivery mode and susceptibility to respiratory infections in the first year of life, regardless of maternal antibiotics

12 Dec 2019

by GMFH Editing Team

Research on gut microbiota development during early life may has been masked by maternal antibiotics during labor. New findings show that C-section-associated gut microbiota at one week of life may predispose infants to respiratory infections in the first year, regardless of intrapartum antibiotics.

Scientists turn to maternal psychological symptoms after birth as a means of partly explaining milk microbiome variation

25 Nov 2019

by GMFH Editing Team

Milk’s microbial composition varies greatly depending on a wealth of maternal and environmental factors. A new longitudinal cohort study has found for the first time associations between psychological distress and the milk microbiota in healthy breastfeeding women.

An increase in Enterobacteriaceae not bound to IgA drives the reduced intestinal bacterial diversity that precedes necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants

26 Aug 2019

by Andreu Prados

Inconsistent findings have been found regarding the role of gut microbiota in preterm infants. A new case-control study shows an increase in Enterobacteriaceae not bound to IgA in infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis compared with healthy controls, which could drive the disease onset.

Preterm infants with growth failure exhibit an immature gut microbiota and metabolome

18 Jul 2019

by GMFH Editing Team

Growth failure rates continue to increase. A new observational study has found that infants with growth failure show disrupted maturation of the gut microbiota involving low diversity, a higher abundance of Staphylococcaceae and a lack of strictly anaerobic bacteria.

The gut microbiome may mediate the effects of early adverse caregiving experiences on increased gastrointestinal symptoms and anxiety behavior

28 May 2019

by GMFH Editing Team

Mental illness and functional gut disorders are closely related. A new study reveals a connection between gastrointestinal symptoms and anxiety through involving the gut microbiota in children exposed to adversity.

A high-fat maternal diet during pregnancy has consequences on the offspring’s intestinal development in mice

23 May 2019

by GMFH Editing Team

Diet-induced changes in the maternal gut microbiota may affect health outcomes on the offspring. The gut microbiota, gut barrier and placental adaptations seems to be crucial in how this occurs, according to a new study in mice.

A new cohort study reveals variations in milk and infant fecal microbiota within and between populations

30 Apr 2019

by GMFH Editing Team

Commensal bacteria in mother’s breast milk may shape the infant’s fecal microbiota. A new cohort study has found associations between both samples, with mother’s milk and infant fecal microbiome composition being more similar within than across cohorts from different geographic locations.