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.

An abundance of immunoglobulin antibodies, and a paucity of viral RNA, in breastmilk offer evidence that women can safely continue breastfeeding during the pandemic.

Meet some of the people featured in the June 2020 issue of The Scientist.

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?

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.

Infants may have been drinking animal milk from vessels for thousands of years.

An artificially intelligent program tracks the motion of infants to help doctors look for links to disorders with abnormal motions.

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.

By stimulating specific neurons in mouse brains, researchers demonstrate that memories from infancy are not lost, but merely difficult to access.

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.

Alterations to a protein involved in breathing may help explain some cases of sudden infant death syndrome, a study finds.

The incubator exhibitions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries publicized the care of premature babies.

Scientists are beginning to unravel the ways in which we develop a healthy relationship with the bugs in our bodies.

Scientist find that living near a hydraulic fracturing site for gas and oil extraction could have adverse effects on infant health. 

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. 

One-third of babies who died of SIDS had higher-than-normal levels of the neurotransmitter in their blood serum, according to a study. 

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.  

By measuring brain activity patterns, scientists can more objectively assess infant distress.

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.