A new study from Stanford University and the University of Nebraska shows that many newborns are lacking important gut bacteria. Many newborns are missing beneficial bacteria to help them get all the nutritional benefits of breast milk.
C-sections, antibiotics, and formula milk are all said to be part of the problem. Researchers examined bacteria from hundreds of babies of different ages, locations, and diets (formula, breastfed, and mixed).
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Overall, this survey revealed that, on average, infants in the US have a low abundance of Bifidobacterium, a high abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria carrying high levels of ARGs, as well as limited capacity of metabolizing HMOs from breast milk. These findings were widespread in infants in the US, independent of location, age, and diet.
Metagenomic insights of the infant microbiome community structure and function across multiple sites in the United States
Along with breast milk digestion, this bacteria has been shown to be important for healthy immune system development.