PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Covid pandemic may have changed the gut bacteria of infants, research finds

Findings have implications for physical and mental health at life’s early stages

2023-08-31
(Press-News.org) Infants who spent most of their first year in the pandemic have fewer types of bacteria in their gut than infants born earlier, according to a team of developmental psychology researchers. 

The findings, published in Scientific Reports, showed that infants whose gut microbes were sampled during the pandemic had lower alpha diversity of the gut microbiome, meaning that there were fewer species of bacteria in the gut. The infants had a lower abundance of Pasteurellaceae and Haemophilus—bacteria that live within humans and can cause various infections—and significantly different beta diversity, which tells us how similar or dissimilar the gut microbiome for two groups may be.

The authors indicate in their article that the differences may have been influenced “by the social changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with infants potentially experiencing more time at home, less time in daycare interacting with other children, increased hygiene in the environment, changes to diet and breastfeeding practices, and increased caregiver stress…”

“The COVID-19 pandemic provides a rare natural experiment to help us better understand how the social environment shapes the infant gut microbiome, and this study contributes to a growing field of research about how changes to an infant’s social environment might be associated with changes to the gut microbiome,” says Sarah C. Vogel, the article’s co-lead author and recent doctoral graduate from NYU Steinhardt’s Developmental Psychology program.

For their study, the authors compared stool samples of two socioeconomically and racially diverse group of 12-month-olds living in New York City that were provided before the pandemic (34 infants) and between March and December of 2020 (20 infants).

The authors say that while speculating on the health implications of gut microbiome differences should be done with caution, gut diversity has been linked to health outcomes across the lifespan.

“In adults we know that lower diversity of the microbiota species in the gut has been linked to poorer physical and mental health,” says Natalie Brito, senior author and associate professor at NYU Steinhardt. “But more research is needed on the development of the gut microbiome during infancy and how the early caregiving environment can shape those connections.”

This study was funded by grants from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R00HD086255) and the SRCD Small Grants Program for Early Career Scholars.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New blood test gives very high accuracy to screen for Alzheimer’s disease

New blood test gives very high accuracy to screen for Alzheimer’s disease
2023-08-31
A new blood test called p-tau217 shows promise as an Alzheimer's disease biomarker, and when used in a two-step workflow very high accuracy to either identify or exclude brain amyloidosis, the most important and earliest pathology. That is an innovation now presented by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, together with colleagues at University of Lund and in Montreal, Canada. In recent years, a lot of effort has been put on developing biomarkers in blood that could potentially help to identify Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Tau protein, ...

Antioxidants stimulate blood flow in tumors

2023-08-31
Vitamin C and other antioxidants stimulate the formation of new blood vessels in lung cancer tumours, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation shows. The discovery corroborates the idea that dietary supplements containing antioxidants can accelerate tumour growth and metastasis. “We’ve found that antioxidants activate a mechanism that causes cancer tumours to form new blood vessels, which is surprising, since it was previously thought that antioxidants have a protective effect,” says study leader Martin Bergö, professor at the ...

Talk therapy with other moms an effective treatment for postpartum depression, McMaster research shows

Talk therapy with other moms an effective treatment for postpartum depression, McMaster research shows
2023-08-31
HAMILTON, ON (Aug. 31, 2023) – An innovative model of care that offers new mothers psychotherapy delivered by other mothers who have also experienced post-partum depression (PPD) should be implemented in clinical practice, according to researchers at McMaster University. Researchers worked with nearly 200 mothers over a year and a half, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and found those receiving treatment from their peers were 11 times more likely to experience remission of their major depressive disorder. The findings of the randomized control trial are published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. PPD and its associated symptoms affect ...

Single-dose psilocybin treatment for major depressive disorder

2023-08-31
About The Study: In a randomized clinical trial with 104 participants, psilocybin treatment was associated with a clinically significant sustained reduction in depressive symptoms and functional disability, without serious adverse events. These findings add to increasing evidence that psilocybin—when administered with psychological support—may hold promise as a novel intervention for major depressive disorder. Authors: Charles L. Raison, M.D., of Usona Institute in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at ...

Deaths due to COVID-19 in patients with cancer during different waves of the pandemic in the US

2023-08-31
About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that patients with cancer had a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality during the winter Omicron wave compared with the general U.S. population. With the emergence of new, immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants, many of which are anticipated to be resistant to monoclonal antibody treatments, strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission should remain a high priority.  Authors: Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is the corresponding ...

New research reveals Earth's ancient ‘breath’: Study reveals connection between atmospheric changes and mantle chemistry

New research reveals Earths ancient ‘breath’: Study reveals connection between atmospheric changes and mantle chemistry
2023-08-31
An international team of scientists have uncovered an important link between Earth’s early atmosphere and the chemistry of its deep mantle. The study, which was led by researchers at the University of Portsmouth and University of Montpellier, sheds new light on the evolution of life on our planet and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. The team investigated magmas formed in ancient subduction zones, where portions of Earth’s crust sink back into the mantle, from a pivotal moment in Earth's history – the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). This event, which is estimated to have happened between 2.1 ...

Discovery opens possibility of new ion channel-targeting drugs

2023-08-31
Ion channels are attractive drug targets due to their importance in health and disease, but finding ways to target a specific ion channel selectively is a major challenge. Now, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and RMIT University in Australia have discovered that ion channels called BK channels have unique openings in their sides, which drug molecules may be able to access. The finding, published Aug. 31 in Nature Chemical Biology, could lead to the development of selective drugs that target the BK channel to treat ...

Analog and digital: The best of both worlds in one energy-efficient system

Analog and digital: The best of both worlds in one energy-efficient system
2023-08-31
We live in an analog world of continuous information flow that is both processed and stored by our brains at the same time, but our devices process information digitally in the form of discrete binary code, breaking the information into little bits (or bites). Researchers at EPFL have revealed a pioneering technology that combines the potential of continuous analog processing with the precision of digital devices. By seamlessly integratingultra-thin, two-dimensional semiconductors with ferroelectric materials, the research, published in Nature Electronics, unveils a novel way to improve energy efficiency and add new functionalities in computing. The ...

Coastal fisheries show surprising resilience to marine heat waves

2023-08-31
Rutgers-led research found that marine heat waves – prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures – haven’t had a lasting effect on the fish communities that feed most of the world. The finding is in stark contrast to the devastating effects seen on other marine ecosystems cataloged by scientists after similar periods of warming, including widespread coral bleaching and harmful algal blooms. “There is an emerging sense that the oceans do have some resilience, and while they are changing in response ...

A new breakthrough in obesity research allows you to lose fat while eating all you want

A new breakthrough in obesity research allows you to lose fat while eating all you want
2023-08-31
This is a significant development that brings hope to the one billion individuals with obesity worldwide. Researchers led by Director C. Justin LEE from the Center for Cognition and Sociality (CCS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have discovered new insights into the regulation of fat metabolism. The focus of their study lies within the star-shaped non-neuronal cells in the brain, known as 'astrocytes'. Furthermore, the group announced successful animal experiments using the newly developed drug 'KDS2010', which allowed the mice to successfully achieve weight loss without resorting ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Food preferences, stigma among reasons students don’t eat free school meals

Depression often associated with early menopause: Why some women are at greater risk

Universal method unlocks entropy calculation for liquids

Induction effect of fluorine-grafted polymer-based electrolytes for high-performance lithium metal batteries

Intensity of opioid use appears to be higher in fentanyl era

'Adventurous’ vs ‘homebody’ anemonefish – research reveals key influences in diversification and evolution

Only Amazon MTurk’s ‘master’ workers provide reliable research data quality

Scientists find the first ice core from the European Alps that dates back to the last Ice Age

Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging may be best forms of exercise for insomnia

Medical tourism for bariatric/weight reduction surgery needs urgent regulation

Funding for lifesaving global health programs forecasted to reach 15-year low, threatening to reverse decades of progress

Exercise could ease symptoms for people with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, but support and adequate guidance is lacking

Lost English legend decoded, solving Chaucerian mystery and revealing a medieval preacher’s meme

Stigma driving depression in alopecia patients, rather than illness severity

Eyes on the prize: Decoding eye contact

Technician-led eye clinics could lead to more timely NHS care

University of Birmingham and CBMM partner to drive disruptive innovation in carbon recycling

New study reveals gendered language patterns in children’s television across 60 years

Ancient fault line poses future earthquake hazard in Canada’s North

Scientists uncover DNA secrets to bolster corn crop traits

Hidden bacterial redundancy could be antibiotic game-changer

New study reveals how corals teach their offspring to beat the heat

Understanding relationship development: Towards a more rigorous approach

Surgical stroke initiative targets deadliest brain bleeds

Understanding how the superfungus Candida auris withstands antifungal treatment

Call for papers: CPA special issue on polypharmacology in cancer therapy—overcoming resistance and enhancing efficacy

An alternative adhesive for wearable medical devices

Pavlov’s dogs were conditioned to go to their treat. Why do some animals learn to interact with the bell instead?

Call for Young Editorial Board members at Current Molecular Pharmacology

MSU team develops scalable climate solutions for agricultural carbon markets

[Press-News.org] Covid pandemic may have changed the gut bacteria of infants, research finds
Findings have implications for physical and mental health at life’s early stages