Mothers’ milk and the infant gut microbiota: An ancient symbiosis

Mothers’ milk guides the development of neonates’ gut microbiota, nourishing a very specific bacterial population that protects the child. Now a team of researchers has identified the compound in the milk that supplies this nourishment, and has shown that it can be obtained from cow’s milk, which could result in using cow’s milk being used as a prebiotic for infants.