Is Your Intestinal Flora Good Enough For Your Baby?

Whether you are planning to get pregnant soon or are already pregnant, did you realise that your baby will get your gut flora?

Bearing in mind that around 80% of the immune system stems from the gut, this vital area needs to be populated with all the right micro-organisms to help it function optimally. The balance between the beneficial bacteria and the pathogenic or bad bacteria is critical. This also applies to babies, whose immune systems strengthen from the moment they enter into the world. So, if you want to give your little one a head start in life, it may be time to think gut flora.

During pregnancy, your baby’s gut will be sterile in your uterus but as he or she passes through the birth canal during childbirth, some of your microflora will be ingested by your baby. This is the natural starting point for your baby’s own microflora to develop. Breast-feeding will further increase your baby’s gut flora but to a lesser degree and will be a direct reflection of yours.

If your baby is born by Caesarian section, recent research demonstrates that C-section babies at Day 3 of life have a very different gut flora to babies, who had a natural birth. Certain strains of beneficial bacterial were shown to be missing (see references 17). This can be addressed and helped by The Gastro Clinic.

Any antibiotic therapy has a detrimental effect on the balance of the bacteria and also the yeast (Candida albicans) in the gut. Antibiotics kill the beneficial bacteria in the gut and this allows the pathogenic (bad) bacteria to colonise significantly and makes way for yeast overgrowth (see references14). Did you know that the roots of yeast can actually penetrate the gut lining? This overgrowth causes inflammation of the intestinal lining, which can lead to increased gut permeability (leaky gut syndrome) and allergies. Perhaps you suffer with IBS type symptoms? Like most women, you are probably putting a lot of thought into doing your very best for your new baby. However, this is an area that is so often overlooked as most women don’t realise the implications. However, it can easily be helped by the Gastro Clinic.

If you have been on the oral contraceptive pill, your gut flora will be also be out of kilter. This group of drugs has a devastating effect on the gut flora, making a woman more prone to yeast overgrowth.

An imbalanced gut flora will hamper your little one’s immune system and predispose him or her to infection. It’s very common for small children to get frequent ear infections and other infections, even though they are pre-school. Some babies have digestive problems right from the start - colic.

The Gastro Clinic often helps babies suffering with severe colic and eczema; and children with recurrent ear infections and recurrent tonsillitis. So often the mother has digestive problems and our tests on her reveal that she does indeed have problems with her gut flora.

And it’s not just a child’s immune and digestive functions, which may be impaired by the mother’s gut flora. It has been discovered that the mothers of children with learning difficulties, including autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, all have gut flora problems (gut dysbiosis). This has been passed on to their child and the result is that the by-products/toxins produced by the pathogenic bacteria and yeast in the child’s gut, when they feed, are crossing the blood-brain barrier and affecting their behaviour and learning. These children also have digestive problems. (see references18,19,20).

If you have a history of antibiotic use, have suffered with IBS or other digestive problems; or have been on the contraceptive pill, it would be worth considering being tested for both yeast and bacterial overgrowth, particularly if you suffer from bloating or constipation. You will need a consultation first so that a full case history can be taken. The tests cost £200 and are carried out at in a medical laboratory. If the results are positive, a herbal prescription and a special diet can be given to help rebalance your gut flora and get it ready for baby.