All Early Life Microbiome articles
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NewsNew study highlights maternal-fetal TORCH infection risk
Researchers have assessed long-term trends in TORCH infections in India, a region where reliable data have been lacking. TORCH includes pathogens that cause toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus and other infections.
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NewsMaternal RSV vaccine cuts infant hospitalizations by 70%
A study has found that vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during pregnancy reduced the risk of hospitalization in young infants by nearly 70%. It provides early real-world evidence from U.S. clinical care, showing that administering one dose of the maternal RSV vaccine (RSVpreF vaccine) reduces hospitalization related to RSV in young infants.
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NewsProtection for newborns: New treatment aims to prevent meningitis without antibiotics
One of the leading pathogens responsible for meningitis cases in newborn babies is the K1 form of the E. coli bacterium. Now, researchers have developed a triple-pronged approach that seeks to prevent transmission to newborns.
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NewsSkin-to-skin care may save newborn lives
Kangaroo mother care, first introduced as an alternative to insufficient incubator care, combines skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, early discharge, and follow-up support. A new review case makes the case for treating iKMC not as an optional add-on, but as a core part of neonatal care for eligible preterm and low-birth-weight infants.
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NewsOrangutans breastfeed their young for six and a half years, the longest among mammals
Researchers show that wild orangutan juveniles keep consuming their mother’s milk continuously until at least six and a half years of age. The study also suggests that the more milk a juvenile consumes, the stronger its biological defenses and the higher the presence of probiotic intestinal bacteria.
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NewsWhy babies are dying and how we can stop it
A study has identified that the vast majority of neonatal deaths caused by infections in South Africa and other low-and-middle-income countries could be prevented through improved clinical care and targeted medical interventions.
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NewsMouse study suggests high-fat diets during pregnancy worsen severe GI illness in preterm babies
A new mouse study suggests a link between a high-fat prenatal diet and induction of potentially deadly symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature babies.
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NewsCaesarean birth: sex-specific effects on the microbiota
A research team investigating microbial colonisation in early life set out to understand how delivery mode and sex interact over the course of development, and whether this interaction could affect susceptibility to intestinal diseases such as colitis in adulthood.
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NewsHow the immune system battles lifelong viral infections acquired at birth
Millions of people worldwide carry viral infections they acquired at birth, often for life. For a long time it was assumed that the immune system hardly fights these pathogens. Researchers show that the body’s defenses do indeed act against the virus.
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NewsNew study suggests reduced newborn hepatitis B vaccination coverage may increase infant infections
Researchers found that lower vaccination coverage among infants born to unscreened mothers was associated with a substantial increase in HBV infections.
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NewsE. coli and ‘good’ bacteria balanced by breastmilk in baby gut microbiomes
Sugars contained exclusively in breast milk are helping to feed an important balance of bacteria in babies’ developing gut microbiomes, according to a study that describes how babies who are breastfed maintain a mutually beneficial co-existence of E. coli and Bifidobacterium.
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NewsWHO-recommended antibiotics cover only 1 in 4 neonatal sepsis infections in low- and middle-income countries
A major multi-country study has found that WHO-recommended first-line antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are likely to be effective in only one quarter of infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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NewsAntibiotic resistance genes found in newborns within hours of birth, study shows
Antibiotic resistance genes can be present in newborns within the first hours of life. The study analysed meconium samples from 105 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 72 hours of life between July 2024 and July 2025.
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NewsMaternal RSV vaccination cuts infant hospitalization risk by over 80%, major study finds
The largest real-world study of its kind shows that maternal vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) reduces the risk of hospitalisation in young infants by over 80% when given at least two weeks before birth.
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NewsAutism and ADHD: Epigenetic changes at birth associated with an infant’s microbiome and neurodevelopment
Epigenetic changes present at birth can impact how an infant’s gut microbiome develops during their first year. Researchers also identified specific epigenetic changes and gut microbes that were associated with signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD when the children were three years old.
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NewsSimple antiseptic can reduce newborn infections
A new Cochrane review finds that chlorhexidine likely cuts umbilical cord infection rates by about 29% in low- and middle-income countries, and may reduce newborn deaths.
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NewsWeaning, more than a change of food: It shapes a life-long, healthy gut
According to a team of researchers, weaning or switching from milk to solid food in early life doesn’t just change what babies eat, it helps reprogram the gut’s immune defenses to mount faster and stronger responses that can last into adulthood.
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NewsFrequent infections in nursery help toddlers build up immune systems
Young children who attend nursery get sick more often than those who don’t, but they will go on to have fewer illnesses during early school years, finds a new review of evidence by a group of parent-scientists.
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NewsMothers' exposure to microbes protect their newborn babies against infection
A study dives into new depths to explore why only some babies develop severe infection to common bacteria. The research revealed that the babies that became most severely ill from E. coli infections also had markedly lower levels of germ-fighting antibodies transferred from their mothers.
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NewsEveryday foods could hide fungal risks for mothers and children
A collaborative, multi-institutional project will examine how exposure to zearalenone – a mycoestrogen produced by mold with estrogen-like activity – may affect pregnancy outcomes and children’s growth.