What you may want to know about your baby’s digestive system before creating your birthing plan.
Before birth your baby’s gut is believed to be a sterile environment, bathed by the amniotic fluid. Post birth the GALT (gut-associated lymphoid system) is your baby’s biggest immune system influencing bacterial colonization in his or her gut.
There is a natural process during the colonization of your baby’s gut in which enterobacteria dominate on the 1st day of your baby’s life. They consume existing oxygen in the gut at which point bifidobacterium, bacteroides, clostridium and lactobacilli dominate, the former of which has the greatest presence.
Feeding matters- The number of bifidobacteria present in your breast-fed baby is twice as high compared to that of formula-fed infants. Bifidobacteria is responsible for limiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria by supporting immunological and inflammatory function in the gut. The amount of bacteria present in breast-fed infants is twice as high than in formula fed infants, while the diversity of bacteria is higher in formula-fed infants. While bifidobacteria is still dominant in formula-fed infants, the amount present is significantly less. Staphylocci, E. coli and clostridia are found more in formula-fed infants. C. difficile and Enterobacteria have a higher presence in formula-fed infants, which are associated with colitis and antibiotic related diarrhea. Further, desulfovibrio is mainly present in formula-fed infants, which may be linked to inflammatory bowel disease.
Health implications – During your pregnancy your immune system is decreased to avoid your body from rejecting your baby. This causes reduced levels of T-helper 1 cells (Th1) and increased levels of T-helper cells 2 (Th2).This causes your infant to be born with a higher level of Th2 cells, which are known to pre-dispose to allergies. Within the 1st year your baby’s immune system switches back to Th1 dominance, which is accelerated by microbial stimuli and infections. Excessive hygiene slows this process. The shift from Th1 to Th2 is accelerated in breast-fed infants and is associated with protecting against diarrhea, necrotizing enterocolitis, type 1 diabetes, atopic dermatitis, allergies, auto-immune disease and a reduced development of type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Supplementation of lactobacillus reutori can reduce the amount of antibodies to food allergens.
Effect on obesity- Your breast-fed infant gains weight more slowly than a formula-fed infant as the latter statistically consume 20-30% more food. Breast milk has a higher fat content and lower calories and protein content and therefore reduces glucose levels in your baby’s systems. Additionally hormones in breast-milk such as leptin, signal your baby when it is full while ghrelin signals it that it is hungry. Both of these hormones are absent in formula.
Antibiotics – disrupt your infant’s microbiome whether you took them during your pregnancy or gave them to your baby after it is born. They have been associated with an increased risk of obesity.
Once your baby is weaned off of formula or breast milk and with the introduction of solid foods the microbiome of your baby changes again and becomes more alike.
- Herdis Astwood