All Early Life Microbiome articles
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News
Innovative test diagnoses chagas disease in newborns
The LAMP molecular diagnostic test, coupled with a modified 3D printer to extract DNA, has a sensitivity comparable to PCR, and can be used in laboratories with limited resources.
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Video
Deciphering the Microbiome: Research and Applications in Early Human Development
This webinar, chaired by Dr Christopher Stewart (AMI’s 2023 WH Pierce Prize awardee), brought together leading researchers to unravel the complexities of the human microbiome’s role in early development.
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News
Study reveals role of fathers in seeding the microbiota of newborns
A new paper shows the important contributions that fathers make to the composition of microbes colonizing a baby’s gut, and confirms that maternal fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) in babies born by C-section can help to correct microbiota disturbances.
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News
Vaccine development program aims to prevent sepsis in newborns
Researchers have been awarded $3.96 million to develop a maternal vaccine that prevents sepsis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in newborns and infants.
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News
Scientists probe missing microbes in infants and children in the COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers conducted a comparative analysis of the gut microbiome of 1,126 children and infants during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Beijing area, revealing the variation of their gut microbiome.
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News
Scientists warn of overuse of antibiotics in newborns with suspected sepsis
Newborns in Sweden are given antibiotics for suspected sepsis to an unjustified extent, reveals a study of more than one million newborns. Despite a significant reduction in sepsis rate in the group, the use of antibiotics has not decreased.
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News
Rotavirus vaccinations in NICU pose minimal risk, study reveals
Rotavirus vaccines do not cause significant outbreaks of the disease in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), according to a new study.
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News
Major genetic meta-analysis reveals how antibiotic resistance in babies varies according to mode of birth, prematurity, and where they live
Meta-analysis of genetic studies from 10 countries finds infants born by C-section have more antibiotic resistance genes; antibiotic use and prematurity also fuel resistance.
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Careers
Cultivating curiosity: a biologist’s tale of science and support in research
Evelyn shares with us her scientific journey from being a curious child in Colombia to coordinating the European Green-Era Hub webinars from the Agriculture and Food Development Authority in Ireland.
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News
AI powered ‘digital twin’ models the infant microbiome
A new generative AI tool creates a virtual model of the infant microbiome and predicts neurodevelopmental deficits.
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News
Infant gut microbes have their own circadian rhythm
Infant gut microbiomes oscillate with a circadian rhythm, even when they are cultivated outside of the body. Meanwhile, diet has less impact on the development and composition of the infant microbiome than previously thought.
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News
Gut bacteria make neurotransmitters to shape the newborn immune system
Investigators discovered that unique bacteria colonize the gut shortly after birth and make the neurotransmitter serotonin to educate gut immune cells. This prevents allergic reactions to food and the bacteria themselves during early development.
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News
COVID vaccines are safe for pregnant women and babies
The COVID vaccine is safe to administer during pregnancy, reports a new study in an important finding on the safety of the vaccine in infants – despite widespread fear and misinformation.
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News
Breastfeeding after COVID-19 booster can give babies antibodies
Lactating mothers who get the COVID-19 booster pass along the antibodies to their children via their breast milk – and potentially protect babies too young to receive the vaccine.
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News
New approach may prevent deadly intestinal disease in preemies
Scientists have found that an investigational protein replacement protected neonatal mice from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly intestinal disease that often strikes extremely premature infants.
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News
Research to advance understanding of deadly disease that affects premature babies
Three researchers have earned more than $5 million in grant money to study causes and potential treatments for necrotizing enterocolitis, a deadly intestinal disease that primarily affects infants born prematurely.
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News
Study in mice uncovers new protective benefit of breast milk
An immune component of breast milk known as the complement system shapes the gut environment of infant mice in ways that make them less susceptible to certain disease-causing bacteria, according to a new study.
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News
Research lays groundwork for a lifesaving vaccine for bacterium that threatens newborns
Researchers are unraveling the workings of Streptococcus agalactiae infections, which could someday lead to a vaccine.
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News
Breastfeeding alters infant gut in ways that boost brain development, may improve test scores
A study of the infant ‘fecal metabolome’ suggests that nursing, including part-time while supplementing with formula, yields significant brain-health benefits.
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Opinion
Catch-22: the FDA, probiotics, and preterm infants
As the FDA issues warning letters about probiotic products sold for use in hospitalized preterm infants, families of babies threatened by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) now face a deadly Catch-22 situation.