Why do some babies have cancer-causing gut bacteria?
Colibactin genes are highly prevalent in the developing infant gut microbiome
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Colibactin-producing bacteria are present in over 60% of infants, yet colorectal cancer is rare in children.
It contradicts the assumption that early DNA damage from these bacteria inevitably leads to cancer — if 2/3 of babies have them and almost no kids get CRC, something else must block or repair the damage.
Practical Takeaways
Avoid unnecessary antibiotics in newborns, especially in the first 30 days, unless medically critical.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Colibactin-producing bacteria are present in over 60% of infants, yet colorectal cancer is rare in children.
It contradicts the assumption that early DNA damage from these bacteria inevitably leads to cancer — if 2/3 of babies have them and almost no kids get CRC, something else must block or repair the damage.
Practical Takeaways
Avoid unnecessary antibiotics in newborns, especially in the first 30 days, unless medically critical.
Publication
Journal
Gut Microbes
Year
2025
Authors
S. Levy, K. McCauley, R. Strength, E. S. Robbins, Qing Chen, S. Namasivyam, G. Maxwell, S. K. Hourigan
Related Content
Claims (3)
Scientists do not yet know where infants get colibactin-producing bacteria, because these bacteria are rarely found in parents or in hospital environments, which suggests they may not be passed from mother to baby during birth as previously thought.
More than half of all infants carry bacteria that produce colibactin and have the pks gene cluster during their first two years of life. These bacteria are most commonly found between 6 and 12 months in healthy full-term babies, and between 12 and 24 months in babies cared for in neonatal intensive care units. This pattern suggests that such bacterial carriage is a typical part of early gut microbiome development.
DNA damage from certain bacteria in early childhood may lead to colorectal cancer that appears later in adulthood.