Babies Need Healthy Microbiomes. But Where Do Microbiomes Come From?

(Credit: Odua Images/Shutterstock) A human's genes are laid down at conception. A fetus' heart, brain and other organs start to form five weeks later. At six months, an unborn child has most of its body parts. But there is one essential component missing: the helpful bacteria, often referred to as the microbiome, that will inhabit its gut, skin and other organs. Our first interactions with microbes set the stage for health throughout our lives. Babies' microbiomes have been linked to hea