1. Neonates, antibiotics and the microbiome
- Author
-
Thanabalasuriar, Ajitha and Kubes, Paul
- Subjects
Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms) -- Health aspects -- Research ,Antibiotics -- Health aspects -- Usage -- Research ,Infants (Newborn) -- Health aspects -- Research ,Biological sciences ,Health - Abstract
As babies leave their mothers' wombs, they are colonized by commensal bacteria. A new study shows that these microbes in a newborn's gut can promote an increase in circulating neutrophils that can guard the body from infections. Altering a neonate's gut microbiota with perinatal antibiotic treatment can impair neutrophils, leaving the newborn vulnerable to attack by harmful bacteria (pages 524-530)., Globally, around 4 million newborn babies die yearly due to sepsis (1). Prolonged use of antibiotics is currently under clinical practice in the interest of preventing early-onset sepsis in newborns [...]
- Published
- 2014