Importance of probiotics from birth to 2 years old. Foundation for health

How do you get a baby to have a healthy gut bacteria?

We start from the beginning, from the mother if it is a vaginal birth and if the mother has taken good bacteria or made her own good bacteria from scratch and take it, such as kefir, and any other healthy method. Even though by making it yourself might stop the variety of bacteria itself to grow, hence tried and tested the one that are multi-billion and there is a difference, more of them stay in the intestinal tract. The vaginal once are different from some of the intestinal tract, hence a variety is best. Some mothers might have more yeast and hence that might be what the baby will get.

Lots of new research now have shown that the intestinal tract is involved and connected to the health of the brain, from birth.

The good bacteria, are connected to the health of: digestion, immune system, sleep, brain development; making Vitamin K , detoxification and much more that we do not know yet.

How do babies we acquire it?

• Mother Vaginal microbes if healthy.
• From mother skin bacteria.
• Taking extra Bifidus at birth after two weeks from birth, as intestinal tract starts to close the gaps, forming the tight junctions and making lactase enzymes to digest the lactose from the milk.

Baby receives food for forming bacteria, the colostrum for the first few days of feeding from mother orally via breast feeding . Studies now have shown that the first 2 years of life are essential for the colonization of the intestinal tract and that would be the permanent microbiome foundation for the rest of their life.

Intestinal bacteria have been shown to be connected with the healthy brain development and positive cognitive behaviour in a child and adult later on. So very essential for the healthy development of the child.

Human milk has complex sugars not absorbed by the gut, but its main function is to feed the bacteria and modify pathogens by adhering to them.

Probiotics –In healthy babies when the mother has taken probiotics and the birth has been natural and the baby has been breastfed, probiotics not as essential – I would suggest it with C-section babies due to antibiotics and no vaginal birth. Water birth as well and/or mother had to take antibiotics during pregnancy.

I use usually Optibac babies drops (Kosher as well) or sachets, Biocare Bifidus infantis or Solgar bifidus infantis. Bio-kult infantis

(picture from Nutrients 2019. Nutrition Gaps and Supplementation in first 1000 days of life. Katrina Beluska-Turkan et al).

© Maria Esposito BSc (Hons) R-Nutritional Therapists – NAET – R-Craniosacral therapist – PCI NLP Coaching programme – Certified Angel Guide – Mindfulness Meditation teacher – HeartMath meditation -Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) – Trauma certification (PESI) – MBant – M-CSTA – CHNC registered