Asymptomatic viral infections in the first days and weeks of a baby’s life are associated with an increased risk of respiratory infections later in life, research suggests.
Viruses were found to interact with newborns’ immune systems and microbiomes — the community of microbes that live in our body — in a way that affected both a child’s risk and number of subsequent infections.
Prevention of such early viral infections, or strengthening immune systems with specially designed probiotics, may avert this risk, experts say.
