Phage diversity in human breast milk: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT: Breast milk is not sterile. The microbiome in human milk serves as a crucial source of early gut microbes for infants, directly impacting the host's health. This microbiome includes bacteria, viruses, archaea, and fungi. Bacteriophages, as key components of the virome, continually prey on bacterial hosts, thereby influencing the development of early gut microbial communities. Pertinent records from various databases, including EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science, were comprehensively reviewed against inclusion criteria up to March 24, 2025. A checklist was employed to assess the risk of bias in the selected studies. After screening a total of 635 records, we included 5 studies with 182 women and 251 samples. Seven families of bacteriophages were identified, primarily Herel

SUBMITTER: Guo Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12065748 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature