Babies, probiotics, and the immune system.......

“…….prenatal environment and delivery mode can shape the newborn microbiome at birth.”
“……postnatal factors, such as antibiotic treatment, diet or environmental exposure, further modulate the development of the infant’s microbiome and immune system, and exposure to a variety of microbial organisms during early life has long been hypothesized to exert a protective effect in the newborn.”

“……epidemiological studies have shown that factors that alter bacterial communities in infants during childhood increase the risk for several diseases, highlighting the importance of understanding early-life microbiome composition.”

“In this review, we describe how prenatal and postnatal factors shape the development of both the microbiome and the immune system.”
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S. Tamburini, et al
The microbiome in early life: implications for health outcomes
Nature Medicine — Volume 22 #7 — July 2016 — page 713