All Microbiome & Pregnancy articles – Page 2
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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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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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NewsMaternal infection: A critical driver of offspring cardiac dysfunction
A new study reveals that maternal infection causes severe metabolic disturbances within the offspring’s heart, most notably enriching differentially expressed genes in lipid, energy, and amino acid metabolism. The infection also heavily suppressed cardiac cell proliferation.
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NewsOne-fifth of pregnant women aren’t properly screened for syphilis
A new study found that 1 in 5 pregnant women in Ontario did not receive timely syphilis screening, which is critical for preventing syphilis infection in newborns. Sociodemographic and behavioural risk factors associated with being screened late may be related to an increased likelihood of inadequate prenatal care access.
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NewsImmune system overreaction linked to deadly flu in pregnancy
Researchers have discovered why influenza can lead to life-threatening complications during pregnancy. In most people, influenza stays in the upper respiratory tract and clears without spreading further. But during pregnancy, the virus can extend into the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of severe complications for mothers and babies.
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NewsPregnant women’s mental images are directly linked to vaccine hesitancy and uptake
When pregnant women think about vaccinations, many experience vivid mental images – such as a sick baby in hospital – that have a direct link to their opinion of the vaccine and whether they ultimately have it, new research has shown.
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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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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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NewsSARS-CoV-2 does not persist in the placenta after maternal recovery from COVID-19
A new study finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.
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NewsWHO certifies the Bahamas for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV
In a landmark achievement for Caribbean public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates The Bahamas for becoming the latest Caribbean nation to be certified as having eliminated the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
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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.