All Early Life Microbiome articles
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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.
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NewsLow-cost preventive measures could mitigate spread of bacteria causing neonatal mortality
A new study found that a multifaceted infection prevention and control intervention could at least temporarily thwart outbreaks of infections from the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium.
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NewsDiffering immune responses in infants may explain increased severity of RSV over SARS-CoV-2
Reseachers report that the two respiratory viruses trigger different immune responses. Those differences might explain why these two diseases have different clinical outcomes and require different treatment strategies.
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NewsPrenatal infection increases risk of heavy drinking later in life
Exposure to infection and other immune stress in the womb increases the likelihood of alcohol misuse in adulthood, a risk that may be reduced through prenatal antioxidant treatment, a new study shows.
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NewsResearchers identify strategies for preventing the most infectious strains of S. aureus in the NICU
A new study has identified which strains of Staphylococcus aureus – commonly known as staph – are commonly transmitted in neonatal intensive care units and which specific strains are most likely to cause invasive and serious infections.
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NewsAntibiotic-resistant bacteria found in many healthy birthing mothers and their newborns
A recent study found gut bacteria resistant to common antibiotics in a sizable percentage of healthy birthing mothers and their newborns. In this study, 38% of bacterial strains resistant to ceftriaxone transmitted from mother to infant were E. coli.
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NewsWhat drives food allergies? New study pinpoints early-life factors that raise risk - including microbiome
A new study involving 2.8 million children around the world has revealed the most important early-life factors that influence whether a child becomes allergic to food. Genetics alone cannot fully explain food allergy trends, pointing to interactions between genes, skin health, the microbiome, and environmental exposures.
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NewsGrowing together, bacterium after bacterium
Social interaction among babies in their first year of life influences and enriches the diversity of their gut microbial strains, based on the findings of a study on microbiome transmission.
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NewsProject to combat childhood diarrhea receives over 5 million euros
A new project will use probiotics, improved education in hygiene and advanced mathematical models to prevent children from dying of diarrhea in low and middle-income countries.