Nature publishes the largest study ever conducted on the gut microbiota of newborns and the impact of delivery mode, with an analysis of 1,679 gut microbiota samples from almost 600 newborns and 175 mothers.
Gut bacterial populations can be shaped by competing species as well as gut motility
2 Dec 2016by Kristina Campbell
Researchers from the University of Oregon in Eugene (USA) recently published a study that used zebrafish as a vertebrate model for investigating bacterial competition in the gut.
Experts call for caution among parents who carry out vaginal seeding – if uncontrolled, it may place newborns in danger
20 Apr 2016by Cristina Sáez
María Gloria Domínguez-Bello and José Clemente published a new study in Nature Medicine in which they showed that they could modify the microbiota of babies born via C-section by exposing them to vaginal fluids.
Clinical implications of recent study exploring ‘microbial restoration procedure’ for caesarean-born infants
20 Apr 2016by Kristina Campbell
Mode of delivery is known to influence the microbiota composition of newborns. Vaginally-born infants develop a microbiota that resembles the mother's vaginal bacterial community, while those born by caesarean section (c-section) have a microbiota that more closely resembles adult skin.