All Microbiome & Pregnancy articles – Page 2
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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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NewsInfluence of antibiotic use on mental health during pregnancy
New research points to an association between antibiotic exposure and maternal psychological distress in early-to mid-pregnancy.
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NewsEarly pregnancy probiotics may help prevent spontaneous preterm delivery
A new study suggests that probiotics supplementation during early pregnancy may help reduce the risk of recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD). Pregnant women who consumed probiotics containing Clostridium butyricum showed lower recurrence rates of sPTD compared with national averages.
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NewsEndometrial microbiota-dimethylglycine-Treg cell axis affects endometrial receptivity in recurrent implantation failure
A new study investigates the possibility of an imbalance in reproductive tract microbiota as a potential factor associated with recurrent implantation failure, offering a novel and promising avenue for exploration.
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NewsNew study fills research gap in food safety to better protect pregnant women from Listeria
Researchers developed new biologically plausible dose-response models — one for maternal infection and one for stillbirth — built on data from guinea pigs and gerbils, which share key biological traits with humans relevant to listeria pathogenesis.
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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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NewsFecal transplants from older mice significantly improve ovarian function and fertility in younger mice
A new study details how fecal transplants from older female mice significantly improve ovarian function and fertility in young mice. The surprising results reveal a direct link between the microbiome of the gut and ovarian health and function.
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NewsNew study demonstrates universal newborn cCMV screening leads to earlier detection and increased identification of mild hearing loss
A new retrospective cohort study examining the impact of Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation mandated universal newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) shows that universal screening significantly decreased the age at first audiology visit and increased identification of mild hearing loss in infants.
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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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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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NewsNeonatal sepsis: using vaginal microbiota to improve predictions
Researchers have found that some identifiable microbial signatures in vaginal swab samples taken at delivery are associated with a risk of neonatal sepsis.
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NewsEndogenous retroviruses promote early human zygotic development
New findings offer insight into why some embryos fail to develop past zygotic genome activation (ZGA), pointing to an unexpected root of human infertility.
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NewsPregnant women hospitalized for COVID-19, and their newborns, have higher complication risk
When hospitalized for COVID-19, pregnant women — and their eventual newborn children — have a higher risk of complications. Research revealed that pregnant women were nearly 3.5 times more likely than non-pregnant women to require respiratory support when hospitalized for COVID-19.
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NewsMaternal microbiome compound may hold key to preventing liver disease
Children born to mothers who consume a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding face a higher risk of developing fatty liver disease later in life. New research suggests that risk may be reduced by supplementing with a naturally occurring compound produced by healthy gut bacteria.
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NewsWhooping cough vaccination for pregnant women strengthens babies’ immune system
Vaccinating women during pregnancy leads to the transfer of antibodies to their newborns. These antibodies were detected not only in blood, but also in the nasal mucosa, the site where whooping cough bacteria enter the body.
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NewsFatal infection risk in newborns may increase when this bacteria and fungus mix
A new study reveals that when Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) interacts with Candida albicans, GBS is more likely to spread disease and become harder to treat in newborns. Infection by both microbes reduces the effectiveness of existing GBS treatments.