Potential factors that could influence the microbial community in a newborn infant include the mother’s diet and her environment. As the mother eats food, the nutrients are passed onto the baby through the umbilical cord. The food itself does not necessary enter the baby’s stomach, which may mean that the diet itself does not actually influence the new up and coming microbial community. The mother’s environment may contain bacteria or viruses that have the capability to influence the mother’s own microbial community, which may in part then influence the microbial community of the unborn baby. This influence is most likely negative, where as a mother’s diet can be both positive and negative.
