# The Gut-Brain Axis Has a New Player, and It Starts at Birth

- slug: the-gut-brain-axis-has-a-new-player-and-it-starts-at-birth
- date: 2026-04-10
- category: Biotech & Life Sciences

CUHK researchers show for the first time that a baby's epigenetic profile at birth and its gut microbiome in the first year of life together shape autism and ADHD risk, and that specific bacteria can partially override genetic risk seeded before delivery.

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