Maternal - infant microbiomes

The primary objective of this study was to assess whether microbial communities in milk are associated with those of oral and fecal samples of healthy lactating women and their infants over the first 6 mo postpartum. Elucidating these complex relationships are the first steps in understanding how microbial communities of the mother and her infant influence each other and ultimately, in understanding how the establishment of these different microbiota in various body habitats potentially has consequences for acute and chronic health outcomes in both the mother and infant.