New research has found a concerning characteristic in babies that could greatly affect their health down the line. While some gut microbiome can pass in utero, a newborn’s gut microbiome was previously thought to be nearly sterile, mostly acquiring bacteria during birth or via breastfeeding. But new findings may prove otherwise, according to research presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Global 2026. Researchers analyzed stool samples from 105