Dad Plays Role in His Infants Microbiome [Video]

Key Takeaways

A newborn gets some of the gut bacteria they need from their dadResearchers found a number of strains in babies that came from their father rather than their motherThese included bacteria that help digest mother’s milk

WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Dads appear to make a small but important contribution to a newborn baby’s gut health, a new study discovers.

Many microbes found in babies throughout their first year of life originate in the father rather than the mother, researchers report June 12 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.

Most importantly, these include Bifidobacterium longum strains – a bacteria that aids in the digestion of a mother’s milk.

“The role of the father may be small, but it is not to be neglected,” said lead researcher Willem de Vos, a professor of microbiology with Wageningen University in The Netherlands. “It is likely that the same holds for others who have …