A great gift for your future children
A healthy gut microbiota in newborns is essential for their health throughout their lives.
A large metagenomic study of infants aged 0 to 6 months from several US states found signs of dysbiosis (imbalances in the gut microbiota) with high levels of bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella , which are associated with enteric inflammation and antibiotic resistance . Low levels of Bifidobacteria were also observed , including B. breve, B. longum, and B. bifidum, which have a limited genetic capacity to metabolize oligosaccharides in breast milk. Exceptionally rarely, strains of B. infantis , with a complete genetic capacity to metabolize these oligosaccharides, were found in only 10% of the infants studied.
According to these results, the unbalanced composition of the microbiota and its reduced functional capacity demonstrate the existence of dysbiosis in the infant microbiota of a high percentage of babies in the USA.
The marked deficiency of Bifidobacteria , so essential for health and proper development from childhood, has been noted in previous research as a consequence of factors such as the increase in cesarean births, the increase in the use of antibiotics and the increase in feeding with infant formulas.
Researchers suggest that, regardless of the cause of these dysbiosis cases, interventions are needed to help restore altered microbiotas in infants to achieve proper functioning.
Furthermore, it is evident that there is a need to inform expectant mothers, even before pregnancy, about the importance of preparing their gut microbiota with a good diet and through the use of probiotics, as well as taking care of the child's microbiota from birth as the best inheritance and best gift to their future children.
References
Casaburi, G., Duar, R.M., Brown, H. et al. Metagenomic insights of the infant microbiome community structure and function across multiple sites in the United States. Sci Rep 11, 1472 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80583-9