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IMAGE: Photomicrographs of tissue taken from the intestines of infant mice and grown in culture as intestinal organoids, or enteroids, that are basically mini-intestines for research. The enteroids shown are from. view more
Credit: C. Sodhi, W. Fulton and D. Hackam, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Medical researchers have long understood that a pregnant mother s diet has a profound impact on her developing fetus s immune system and that babies especially those born prematurely who are fed breast milk have a more robust ability to fight disease, suggesting that even after childbirth, a mother s diet matters. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these connections have remained unclear.