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Dr. Axe Wire · Labs & diagnostics · gut
Infant Gut Viruses Linked To Breastfeeding And Mothers Microbes In New Study
A year-long study of 34 mother-infant pairs found the viruses living in a baby's gut shift with feeding and maternal exposure.
A study published October 9, 2026 in Cell Reports Medicine followed 34 mother-infant dyads for the first year of life and found that the community of viruses living in a baby's gut, called the phageome, develops in step with breastfeeding and the mother's own microbes.
34mother-infant dyads
1year tracked
The study, published October 9, 2026 in Cell Reports Medicine, used metagenomic sequencing and a phage-focused computational method to longitudinally track the gut phageome, the community of viruses that infect gut bacteria, in 34 mother-infant dyads across the first year of life. Phage diversity increased with age, following a pattern distinct from the bacterial diversity trajectory tracked in the same infants. Viral populations shared between mothers and infants were consistent with a maternal contribution to the infant's developing viral community, though the authors note this overlap does not establish direct transmission. Feeding-related variables were consistently associated with phageome composition at specific developmental stages, though exact percentages or effect sizes were not reported in the abstract.
Bacteriophages outnumber bacteria in the gut and can reshape which bacterial species thrive by infecting specific strains. The authors conclude no single factor fully explains how an infant's viral community develops, describing instead a multifactorial model shaped by maternal, environmental and dietary inputs together, and they position phages as active participants in building a healthy gut ecosystem in infancy.
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34mother-infant dyads
Number of mother-infant dyads whose gut viral communities were tracked during the first year of life
This is an observational study of 34 dyads, a small sample for firm conclusions, and the abstract does not report specific percentages for how much feeding method shifted phageome composition. This shows a link, not proof that breastfeeding or maternal exposure causes the infant's phageome to develop the way it does.
Dr. Axe’s Take
A baby's gut community, including its viral population, gets built from day one by what comes through breastfeeding and close contact with mom. Breast milk is doing more than delivering nutrition and antibodies here; it looks like a vehicle for live microbial and viral populations that help shape digestion and immunity. If you are nursing, I would keep at it as long as you reasonably can, support your own gut with fermented foods and fiber-rich produce, and avoid unnecessary antibiotics for both of you unless a doctor says they are medically necessary.
— Dr. AxeStory summary
- Who
- 34 mother-infant dyads followed through the infant's first year of life
- Design
- Longitudinal metagenomic sequencing with a phage-focused computational workflow
- Dose
- Not applicable; observational sampling over 12 months
- Primary result
- Phage diversity in the infant gut increased with age, following a distinct trajectory from bacterial diversity
- Secondary
- Shared viral populations between mother and infant consistent with maternal contribution; feeding-related variables tied to phageome composition at specific ages; no single factor explained the variation
- Funding / conflicts
- Funders listed in the journal record: Horizon Europe; Gobierno de España Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; Government of Valencia Department of Education Culture and University. Conflicts not reported in the abstract.
- Date
- Oct 9, 2026