Infant Skin Bacterial Communities Vary by Skin Site and Infant Age across Populations in Mexico and the United States.

ABSTRACT: Daily practices put humans in close contact with the surrounding environment, and differences in these practices have an impact on human physiology, development, and health. There is mounting evidence that the microbiome represents an interface that mediates interactions between the human body and the environment. In particular, the skin microbiome serves as the primary interface with the external environment and aids in host immune function by contributing as the first line of defense against pathogens. Despite these important connections, we have only a basic understanding of how the skin microbiome is first established, or which environmental factors contribute to its development. To this end, this study compared the skin bacterial communities of infants (n = 47) living in four p

SUBMITTER: Manus MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7646528 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature