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An excited-looking toddler crawls towards toys while her mother watches on.
Doctors Treat a Rare Genetic Condition Before Patient Is Born
Thanks to continued weekly medications, a 16-month-old girl shows no symptoms of a severe genetic disease that typically kills children before they turn two.
Doctors Treat a Rare Genetic Condition Before Patient Is Born
Doctors Treat a Rare Genetic Condition Before Patient Is Born

Thanks to continued weekly medications, a 16-month-old girl shows no symptoms of a severe genetic disease that typically kills children before they turn two.

Thanks to continued weekly medications, a 16-month-old girl shows no symptoms of a severe genetic disease that typically kills children before they turn two.

infant

A premature infant drinking from a bottle
In Search of the Best Milk Recipe for Preemies’ Gut Bacteria
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Aug 22, 2022 | 5 min read
Milk fortifiers of human origin show no evident advantage in the development of the gut microbiota of premature infants over fortifiers derived from cows, while the intake of the mother’s own milk does, two studies suggest.
Breastmilk Harbors Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2
Ashley Yeager | Nov 17, 2020 | 5 min read
An abundance of immunoglobulin antibodies, and a paucity of viral RNA, in breastmilk offer evidence that women can safely continue breastfeeding during the pandemic.
Contributors
The Scientist | Jun 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Meet some of the people featured in the June 2020 issue of The Scientist.
The Infant Gut Microbiome and Probiotics that Work
Jennifer T. Smilowitz and Diana Hazard Taft | Jun 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
The gut microbiome is more malleable in the first two years after birth, allowing probiotics to make their mark. Can we exploit this to improve infants’ health?
Infographic: The Changing Infant Gut Microbiome
Jennifer T. Smilowitz and Diana Hazard Taft | Jun 1, 2020 | 3 min read
The microbial makeup of a newborn baby’s intestines has changed dramatically over the past 100 years, and we are now beginning to understand how and why this matters.
Image of the Day: Prehistoric Baby Bottles
Emily Makowski | Sep 26, 2019 | 1 min read
Infants may have been drinking animal milk from vessels for thousands of years.
Image of the Day: Wiggles and Squirms
Carolyn Wilke | Mar 29, 2019 | 1 min read
An artificially intelligent program tracks the motion of infants to help doctors look for links to disorders with abnormal motions.
Drop in Infant Type 1 Diabetes Linked to Rotavirus Vaccination
Catherine Offord | Jan 23, 2019 | 2 min read
Results from an observational study find that the introduction of a routine vaccine in Australia coincided with a fall in the incidence of the autoimmune condition.
Forgotten Memories Brought Back in Mice
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jul 5, 2018 | 3 min read
By stimulating specific neurons in mouse brains, researchers demonstrate that memories from infancy are not lost, but merely difficult to access.
Mouse Pups Infected With Zika Show Symptoms Into Adulthood
Ashley Yeager | Jun 6, 2018 | 2 min read
The results suggest the virus could severely alter brain development in infants infected after birth, but blocking a signaling protein early on might ease certain symptoms.
Genetic Mutation Linked to Cot Death
Catherine Offord | Mar 29, 2018 | 2 min read
Alterations to a protein involved in breathing may help explain some cases of sudden infant death syndrome, a study finds.
The Child Hatchery, 1896
Catherine Offord | Mar 1, 2018 | 3 min read
The incubator exhibitions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries publicized the care of premature babies.
How Do Infant Immune Systems Learn to Tolerate Gut Bacteria?
Diana Kwon | Jan 10, 2018 | 6 min read
Scientists are beginning to unravel the ways in which we develop a healthy relationship with the bugs in our bodies.
Study: Fracking Linked to Low Birth Weight in Newborns
Katarina Zimmer | Dec 14, 2017 | 2 min read
Scientist find that living near a hydraulic fracturing site for gas and oil extraction could have adverse effects on infant health. 
Seeding the Gut Microbiome Prevents Sepsis in Infants
Anna Azvolinsky | Aug 16, 2017 | 4 min read
An oral mix of a pre- and probiotic can decrease deaths from the condition, according to the results of a large clinical trial conducted in rural India. 
Sudden Infant Death Tied to Serotonin
Kerry Grens | Jul 3, 2017 | 2 min read
One-third of babies who died of SIDS had higher-than-normal levels of the neurotransmitter in their blood serum, according to a study. 
Study: Infants’ Brain Activity Patterns Predict Autism Risk
Aggie Mika | Jun 8, 2017 | 2 min read
Scientists provide evidence that blood-flow patterns in six-month-old babies’ brains can accurately predict cognitive and behavioral markers of autism spectrum disorder two years later.  
New Method Can Sense Babies’ Pain
Aggie Mika | May 5, 2017 | 2 min read
By measuring brain activity patterns, scientists can more objectively assess infant distress.
Study: Babies’ Microbiomes Indifferent to Mode of Delivery
Kerry Grens | Jan 23, 2017 | 2 min read
Study of 81 six-week-olds who were born by C-section or vaginal delivery didn’t show differences in the structure or function of their microbiota, despite contrary results from other studies on babies. 
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