Gut Microbiome Biomarkers Identified as Predictors for Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Premature Infants

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that bacteria-infecting viruses and bacterial antibiotic resistance genes in the gut microbiomes of premature babies can predict the onset of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe intestinal illness. Published in Gut, these findings are the first to show that these biomarkers in stool can predict disease risk up to eight days before clinical symptoms appear, offering a potential pathway for earlier intervention.