Since S100a8/a9 has an important regulatory role in both murine and human neonates29,31,42–44, our findings encourage to consider nutritional S100A8 supplementation to human newborns raised under malnutrition conditions as a simple, cost-efficient treatment to protect them against the chronic inflammatory enteropathy associated with maternal malnutrition and related lifelong health risks. The gene discussed is S100A8; the disease is malnutrition.