The old view of microbes as “bad bugs” that cause infectious disease has been dispelled by the new scientific research on the microbiome. This collection of microorganisms include bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The gut biome is the largest of the human biomes and consists mostly of trillions of bacteria which can represent thousands of species! It’s quite fantastic to ponder.
The gut biome is thus a specialized ecosystem and as unbelievable as it sounds, this biome plays a very important role in health and disease. The newest science from researchers all over the world has connected the gut biome to the immune system, metabolic development, brain development and risk for future diseases. Your gut bacteria determines how you absorb calories and nutrients. Studies show that the gut microbiome may also affect your emotions and the way you receive information from your senses.
Of course, now that we know how very important the gut microbiome is for our lifetime health, we want to know what we can do to give our children the best start. In review of the literature, most researchers believe there is a bacterial baptism at birth. There is new evidence which shows there may be some exchange in pregnancy, but it is inconclusive and we need more studies to show if pregnancy probiotics may improve the infant’s microbiome. With our present information, the microbiome begins at birth and is enhanced with breastfeeding and the baby’s first foods.
In a normal vaginal birth, the baby passes through the vagina of the mother. During that journey the baby is completely covered in bacteria and thus the baby is inoculated, giving it a brand new microbiome. This occurs when the infants' stomach is not yet acidic, therefore the swallowed bacteria can colonize the entire gastrointestinal tract. A newborn baby’s gut biome is very similar to the mother’s. The next important transfer of microbes is skin to skin contact because we also have an ecosystem on our skin. There are numerous other benefits of “skin to skin” and it has been proven to enhance breastfeeding success which in turn nurtures the microbiome as it develops.
After millions of years of evolution, breast milk contains the perfect bacteria and nutrients the baby needs. Breast milk feeds the microbiome. It is believed that the bacteria present in the baby’s gut from birth feed on the breast milk. The sugars are a prebiotic or food for specific bacteria. This very early microbiome trains the immune system to attack the dangerous microbes and leave the beneficial microbes alone. This is the jump start for the immune system. It is estimated that 25%- 30% of the infant’s microbiome originates from the breast milk! Breastfeeding for the first 6-12 months has been associated with huge health benefits.
When your infants’ first foods are introduced, think Microbiome. Prebiotic foods are non digestible carbohydrates that good bacteria feed on: fiber rich foods such as asparagus, bananas, onions, peas, beans, nuts and seeds. Of course some of these foods are not appropriate as first foods. Vegetables are usually fiber rich. Avoid processed foods, conventional dairy, GMO foods, and gluten which the bad bacteria like to feed on. Taking antibiotics at any point can significantly change the microbiome. Fermented foods (which are probiotic) are extremely beneficial to the microbiome and they add the good bacteria. Examples of these include: miso, kefir, yogurt, kombucha and fermented veggies. Avoid sugar throughout the entire 3-4 years while the gut biome is developing. I am certain, we will continue to gain knowledge in the best first foods area. Breast milk has both pre and probiotics please add breastmilk to all their first foods. Think of it as an inoculant.
**look to our website in the near future for another article focussing on first foods that may strengthen the microbiome of your baby**
The core set of microbe inhabitants usually develop until 3-4yrs of age and generally stabilize at this point. The knowledge about the coevolution and coexistence of humans and microbes is growing everyday! It would be wise to keep informed.
*A side note on labour/birth/caesareans in relation to the microbiome
The newest evidence about considerations in the labour and birth environment suggests there are factors that can influence the microbiome of your baby. In every environment there are different ecosystems and even each individual has their own unique biome.
Eat well during your pregnancy to improve your gut biome both pre and probiotic foods. There is some evidence that the microbes begin seeding in pregnancy
Do everything you can to prepare your body, mind, and spirit for a vaginal delivery.
Limit vaginal exams and any intervention that puts something “into” your body. Always ask if a procedure is absolutely necessary and why. Routine exams and procedures are not always needed.
If a caesarean birth is necessary, then one might consider vaginal seeding of the infant. This is a process where the mother places swabs in the mother’s vagina , and then wiping them into the baby’s face, mouth, eyes, and skin. Studies in most countries with high Cesarean delivery rates are ongoing, but presently the data is limited. There is no evidence it improves outcomes at this point. Because there is no clear evidence and there is a risk if the mother had an infection such as Group B Strep or herpes, the medical profession is not recommending seeding. It is a woman’s choice and you can be screened for infections prior to labour to ensure no harm is done. As more evidence is gathered, this may become routine practice.
We know that the microbiome is important and that Cesarean births increase a child’s long term health with increased risk of diseases like asthma. Newborns born via cesarean have a microbiome similar to the skin and oral microbes as well as bacteria from operating room environments. A family centered cesarean birth promotes other factors that improve the microbiome. If giving antibiotics, give them after cord is clamped. Immediately place baby skin to skin and initiate breastfeeding and maintain mother baby contact for the first hour or more. There is also good evidence to suggest if a woman labors and her water has broken, there will be a transfer or seeding of the infant with the mother’s biome.
The gut biome is thus a specialized ecosystem and as unbelievable as it sounds, this biome plays a very important role in health and disease. The newest science from researchers all over the world has connected the gut biome to the immune system, metabolic development, brain development and risk for future diseases. Your gut bacteria determines how you absorb calories and nutrients. Studies show that the gut microbiome may also affect your emotions and the way you receive information from your senses.
Of course, now that we know how very important the gut microbiome is for our lifetime health, we want to know what we can do to give our children the best start. In review of the literature, most researchers believe there is a bacterial baptism at birth. There is new evidence which shows there may be some exchange in pregnancy, but it is inconclusive and we need more studies to show if pregnancy probiotics may improve the infant’s microbiome. With our present information, the microbiome begins at birth and is enhanced with breastfeeding and the baby’s first foods.
In a normal vaginal birth, the baby passes through the vagina of the mother. During that journey the baby is completely covered in bacteria and thus the baby is inoculated, giving it a brand new microbiome. This occurs when the infants' stomach is not yet acidic, therefore the swallowed bacteria can colonize the entire gastrointestinal tract. A newborn baby’s gut biome is very similar to the mother’s. The next important transfer of microbes is skin to skin contact because we also have an ecosystem on our skin. There are numerous other benefits of “skin to skin” and it has been proven to enhance breastfeeding success which in turn nurtures the microbiome as it develops.
After millions of years of evolution, breast milk contains the perfect bacteria and nutrients the baby needs. Breast milk feeds the microbiome. It is believed that the bacteria present in the baby’s gut from birth feed on the breast milk. The sugars are a prebiotic or food for specific bacteria. This very early microbiome trains the immune system to attack the dangerous microbes and leave the beneficial microbes alone. This is the jump start for the immune system. It is estimated that 25%- 30% of the infant’s microbiome originates from the breast milk! Breastfeeding for the first 6-12 months has been associated with huge health benefits.
When your infants’ first foods are introduced, think Microbiome. Prebiotic foods are non digestible carbohydrates that good bacteria feed on: fiber rich foods such as asparagus, bananas, onions, peas, beans, nuts and seeds. Of course some of these foods are not appropriate as first foods. Vegetables are usually fiber rich. Avoid processed foods, conventional dairy, GMO foods, and gluten which the bad bacteria like to feed on. Taking antibiotics at any point can significantly change the microbiome. Fermented foods (which are probiotic) are extremely beneficial to the microbiome and they add the good bacteria. Examples of these include: miso, kefir, yogurt, kombucha and fermented veggies. Avoid sugar throughout the entire 3-4 years while the gut biome is developing. I am certain, we will continue to gain knowledge in the best first foods area. Breast milk has both pre and probiotics please add breastmilk to all their first foods. Think of it as an inoculant.
**look to our website in the near future for another article focussing on first foods that may strengthen the microbiome of your baby**
The core set of microbe inhabitants usually develop until 3-4yrs of age and generally stabilize at this point. The knowledge about the coevolution and coexistence of humans and microbes is growing everyday! It would be wise to keep informed.
*A side note on labour/birth/caesareans in relation to the microbiome
The newest evidence about considerations in the labour and birth environment suggests there are factors that can influence the microbiome of your baby. In every environment there are different ecosystems and even each individual has their own unique biome.
Eat well during your pregnancy to improve your gut biome both pre and probiotic foods. There is some evidence that the microbes begin seeding in pregnancy
Do everything you can to prepare your body, mind, and spirit for a vaginal delivery.
Limit vaginal exams and any intervention that puts something “into” your body. Always ask if a procedure is absolutely necessary and why. Routine exams and procedures are not always needed.
If a caesarean birth is necessary, then one might consider vaginal seeding of the infant. This is a process where the mother places swabs in the mother’s vagina , and then wiping them into the baby’s face, mouth, eyes, and skin. Studies in most countries with high Cesarean delivery rates are ongoing, but presently the data is limited. There is no evidence it improves outcomes at this point. Because there is no clear evidence and there is a risk if the mother had an infection such as Group B Strep or herpes, the medical profession is not recommending seeding. It is a woman’s choice and you can be screened for infections prior to labour to ensure no harm is done. As more evidence is gathered, this may become routine practice.
We know that the microbiome is important and that Cesarean births increase a child’s long term health with increased risk of diseases like asthma. Newborns born via cesarean have a microbiome similar to the skin and oral microbes as well as bacteria from operating room environments. A family centered cesarean birth promotes other factors that improve the microbiome. If giving antibiotics, give them after cord is clamped. Immediately place baby skin to skin and initiate breastfeeding and maintain mother baby contact for the first hour or more. There is also good evidence to suggest if a woman labors and her water has broken, there will be a transfer or seeding of the infant with the mother’s biome.
