Infants are born with an immune system which is more sensitive to allergens. The first microbes to colonize a baby's gut, skin, and mouth help teach the immune system what's harmful and what's not. When there are microbes missing, the immune system doesn't develop properly and there is a greater risk of developing issues such as asthma, allergies and respiratory infections. Environmental bacteria and a healthy microflora are needed to normalise immune function. An infant’s microbiome is established and fostered in utero, during delivery, by breast feeding and by environmental factors. The microbiome’s development can be disrupted via c-section, early antibiotic use, limited breastfeeding and obsessive cleanliness.
Many women require a c-section delivery for medical reasons & others are unable to breast feed. These babies can still develop a healthy microbiome through: [1] skin-to-skin contact between mum and baby immediately after birth [2] don't overdo baths which can strip baby's skin of beneficial bacteria. [3] don’t keep your house too clean! [4] baby probiotics such as Baby Biotic by Biocare. The critical window for optimising the gut-brain axis connection through diverse microbiome colonisation is from birth to 3 years. Adapted from www.bmj.com, www.webmd.com and CNM.
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