Diversity of the Lactobacillus group in breast milk and vagina of healthy women and potential role in the colonization of the infant gut

Abstract

It has been suggested that neonates acquire lactobacilli by oral contamination with vaginal strains during delivery; subsequently, newborns would transmit such bacteria to the breast during breastfeeding. However, our findings confirm, at the molecular level that in contrast to the maternal vagina, breast milk seems to constitute a good source of lactobacilli to the infant gut.