Fungal DNA profiles across maternal and neonatal biological sites: findings from an exploratory pilot study

Background

The neonatal mycobiome remains an underexplored component of early-life microbial ecology. Although fungi may contribute to immune maturation and host-microbe interactions, fungal DNA profiles across maternal and neonatal body sites are poorly characterized. This exploratory pilot study aimed to characterize fungal DNA profiles across multiple maternal and neonatal biological compartments during early life.