This Scientific American article states that "[human] infestation [by bacteria] begins at birth". This would suggest that unborn babies are free from any bacteria. However, if the mother catches a bacterial infection, her unborn baby risks catching it, too. This would seem to contradict the Scientific American article.
Presumably, when a human egg is fertilized by a sperm, the resulting cell may be free of any bacteria. At some point, bacteria begin to colonize the growing human body. Which bacteria are the earliest to colonize, and at what point in the development cycle does this occur?
In particular: does the health of the foetus depend on the presence of certain bacteria?
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