Missing Gut Bacteria in US Babies Triples Allergy and Eczema Risk

Bifidobacterium deficit in United States infants drives prevalent gut dysbiosis

The composition of the infant gut microbiome is critical to immune development and noncommunicable disease (NCD) trajectory. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the infant gut microbiome in the United States is lacking. The My Baby Biome study, designed to address this knowledge gap, evaluated the gut microbiomes of 412 infants (representative of U.S. demographic diversity) using metagenomics and metabolomics. Regardless of birth mode and/or …

Missing gut bacteria in US babies triples allergy and eczema risk

US infants lacking Bifidobacterium in their gut microbiome face significant changes in microbial composition, metabolic function, and immune-related health risks. This large, nationally representative study links early-life Bifidobacterium deficits to a three-fold increase in eczema, allergy, or asthma by age two.

Many U.S. babies may lack gut bacteria that train their immune systems

Too little Bifidobacterium, used to digest breast milk, in babies' gut microbiomes can increase their risk of developing allergies and asthma.

Study Says U.S. Babies Are Missing a Key Gut Microbe, Fueling Allergy Risk

New research suggests the lack of a bacterium known to help infants digest breast milk could have significant consequences for the developing immune system.

Nutrition in early life shapes intestinal immunity

27.06.2025 - Researchers from the University of Bern, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered that the composition of our diet in early life can strengthen the immune system. Using a mouse model, the researchers showed that certain food components increase the production and diversity of antibodies in the intestine, regardless of the existing