Articles

New research from MSU shows that an infant's gut microbiome could contain clues to help monitor and support healthy neurological development. Why do some babies react to perceived danger more than others? According to new research from Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, part of the answer may be found in a surprising place: an infant's digestive system.

Antibodies that guard against COVID-19 can transfer from mothers to babies while in the womb, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Research led by the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust has revealed new insight into the biological mechanisms of the long-term positive health effects of breastfeeding in preventing disorders of the immune system in later life. Breastfeeding is known to be associated with better health outcomes in infancy and throughout adulthood, and previous research has shown that babies receiving breastmilk are less likely to develop asthma, obesity, and autoimmune diseases later in life compared to those who are exclusively formula fed.

Several observational studies have established mixed evidence that maternal intake of both fish and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) during gestation is beneficial to a child's psychomotor development in the years to come. A recent large-scale review, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, furthered this claim after reporting significant differences between children whose mothers consumed high amounts of fish and omega-3s, versus those who were on the lower end of the spectrum.