Here is a really good article looking at the evidence for exactly when a baby is first colonised by bactiera. In other words, is the infant microbiome established during pregnancy whilst the baby is developing inside the womb, or is at birth from when the amniotic sac ruptures, or is it...

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Breastfeeding is critically important to maternal, infant and population health.... YES YES YES! Some of the world's the top human milk researchers recently came together to create an action plan to maximise the impact of human milk research. This is a great paper summarising the action...

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This is one of those “yes yes yes” type of research projects where the findings reinforce what you think, that spending time in nature as a child is really important for mental health. Researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (also called IS Global) found a strong...

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A question I am often asked is whether it matters when a baby is weaned for the optimal development of the infant microbiome. It turns out introducing solids at or before age 4 months significantly increases the risk of a child becoming overweight or obese later in childhood. New research by...

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Fascinating article explaining how hormones released during birth affect a baby’s developing nervous system. Apparently, there are differences in hormone signalling with babies born by Cesarean. This may have long‐term neurodevelopmental consequences. “During birth, hormones in the body surge...

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Fascinating, but not so easy-to-read for non-scientists like me - but useful to know about the workings of the brain! New research highlights the role gut bacteria could play in Alzheimer's disease, together with inflammation and the increase in numbers of amyloid plaques in the brain. For...

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Group B Streptococcus (Group B Strep, Strep B, Beta Strep, or GBS) is a very common type of bacterium that lives in the vagina and gut. Up to 40% of pregnant women are colonised by GBS, mostly without any symptoms. Group B Strep can be transferred from the mother to baby during vaginal...

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New research provides another piece of the puzzle about why babies born by C-section are at increased risk of developing asthma by age 6. Previous research found marked changes in the baby's gut microbiome associated with being born by C-section. These marked changes are detectable at 1 week...

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The answer to whether breast milk protects a child against developing asthma is complex. Two new research papers introduce additional pieces of the puzzle, but still more research needs to be done for more definite answer to the question. These papers are not easy-to-read for...

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How does a vegetarian or vegan diet eaten by breastfeeding mothers affect the composition of her breast milk? This is something I have often wondered about. A recent systemative review of 13 recent papers gives at least some of the answers! On nutritional value: “The systematic review has...

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