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Plasma adenosine deaminase-1 and -2 activities are lower at birth in Papua New Guinea than in The Gambia but converge over the first weeks of life

Dynamic cellular and molecular adaptations in early life significantly impact health and disease. Upon birth, newborns are immediately challenged by their environment, placing urgent demands on the infant immune system.

A newborn's perspective on immune responses to food

In this review, we will highlight infants' immune responses to food, emphasizing the unique aspects of early-life immunity and the critical role of breast milk as a food dedicated to infants. Infants are susceptible to inflammatory responses rather than immune tolerance at the mucosal and skin barriers, necessitating strategies to promote oral tolerance that consider this susceptibility.

Diet at birth is critical for healthy growth, independent of effects on the gut microbiota

Colostrum is the first milk for a newborn. Its high content in microbiota shaping compounds and its intake at the time of gut microbiota seeding suggests colostrum may be critical in the establishment of a healthy microbiota. There is also accumulating evidence on the importance of the gut microbiota for healthy growth.

Specific IgA, but Not IgG, in Human Milk from COVID-19-Infected Mothers Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2

This study highlights the importance of human milk in providing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunity to newborns. The highest protective activity of human milk against COVID-19 was found in colostrum from infected mothers.

Early treatment with fluvoxamine, bromhexine, cyproheptadine, and niclosamide to prevent clinical deterioration in patients with symptomatic COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial

Repurposed drugs with host-directed antiviral and immunomodulatory properties have shown promise in the treatment of COVID-19, but few trials have studied combinations of these agents. The aim of this trial was to assess the effectiveness of affordable, widely available, repurposed drugs used in combination for treatment of COVID-19, which may be particularly relevant to low-resource countries.

Metagenomic Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome and Effect of Complementary Feeding on Bifidobacterium spp. in Australian Infants

Complementary feeding induces dramatic ecological shifts in the infant gut microbiota toward more diverse compositions and functional metabolic capacities, with potential implications for immune and metabolic health. The aim of this study was to examine whether the age at which solid foods are introduced differentially affects the microbiota in predominantly breastfed infants compared with predominantly formula-fed infants.

Randomized Trial of BCG Vaccine to Protect against Covid-19 in Health Care Workers

The bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory "off-target" effects that have been hypothesized to protect against coronavirus disease 2019.