Two new studies are offering some of the clearest snapshots yet of how babies build up protective gut bacteria, adding to evidence that antibiotics and birth by Caesarean section may disrupt that development.
Intestinal bacteria do far more than help digest food: They also play roles in the immune system. The types and amounts of gut bacteria that people harbor are thought to influence obesity, digestive diseases, even autoimmune disorders including asthma and allergies.
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