Within a few days of birth your baby's digestive tract will be colonised by bacteria. How your baby was born - vaginal or by caesarean section - will influence the type of bacteria that your baby will carry.
It has been shown that the beneficial/friendly bacteria bifidobacteria infantis were found in about 60% of 4 - 6 day old full term infants who were born vaginally. Only 9% of babies born by caesarean section had B. infantis. It is uncertain how, but babies pick up the friendly bacteria from their mothers during the passage through a clean, healthy birth canal. It has also been demonstrated that bacterial or yeast infections in the vaginal tract can have serious effects on an unborn child including triggering premature birth and low birth weight infants.
As the name implies, bifidobacteria infantis is the normal inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract of human infants. It also occurs in small numbers in the female vagina along with L. acidophilus. The bifidobacteria including B. infantis, B. bifidum, B. longum and B. breve are the predominant bacteria in the bowel of infants - these are special varieties and not the same strains that are found in adults. The bifidobacteria (as with adults) have a number of important functions including the following.
- They produce important B complex vitamins.
- They act against harmful bacteria and prevent them from altering nitrates (present in food and water) to nitrites which are known cancer causing agents.
- They prevent opportunistic organisms such as the yeast candida albicans from colonising and multiplying - instead they are forced to pass through the tract and out of the body.
- They produce acetic acid and lactic acid which creates a hostile environment for dangerous microbes that require a more alkaline environment.
This means that when there are sufficient bifidobacteria in the infant s intestinal tract other harmful microbes can t find the room to colonise. These friendly bacteria also assist with nitrogen retention - assuring normal weight gain in the infant.
Unfortunately in recent years the presence of B. infantis and B. bifidum in the intestines of infants has been declining and this has been accompanied by a rise in the levels of undesirable pathogens. In particular there has been a rise in the levels of Klebsiella and E. coli - both potentially very dangerous bacteria. These disease causing bacteria are now commonly found to be resistant to antibiotics. The reasons for the change are unclear but there does seem to be a connection between the level of toxic contaminants in the mother s breast milk and the rise of dangerous bacteria.
The situation is not improved with formula fed infants. These infants have high levels of bacteroides, clostridium and E. coli. Manufacturers of infant formulas try very hard to provide the constituents of human breast milk - but they fail. Formulas based largely on cow s milk, as well as soy formulas, cannot sustain the vitally important bifidobacteria colonies in the baby s bowel.
Given the importance of beneficial bacteria for a healthy baby I have two main suggestions.
- The first recommendation is to ensure the health of the mother - indeed it is preferable that this is established before pregnancy. A healthy mother is more likely to deliver a healthy baby than a mother who herself is in poor health. This holds true for the health of friendly bacteria present in the mother's intestines and vagina. During delivery is when the baby is going to be colonised with bifidobacteria infantis. However, this will not be possible if the mother s vagina has an adverse microflora and is heavily colonised by candida albicans, for example. Also if the mother carries a lot of toxins in her system, from whatever source, these will be passed to the baby in her breast milk. One source of toxins for the mother and therefore also the baby is an overgrowth of candida albicans. It is recommended that women look to their own health before pregnancy by ensuring that they have the right balance of bacteria and other micro-organisms. Using a course of probiotics will greatly assist in this process. It is not recommended that women who are pregnant or breast feeding undergo a detoxification program because this will increase the possibility that the toxins are passed to the baby.
- Secondly, because we are living in an increasingly polluted world and beneficial baby bacteria are in decline while dangerous drug resistant bacteria are increasing, I suggest that all babies (breast or bottle fed) need to be supplemented with bifidobacteria infantis. This infant bacteria is safe for babies.
There are many things which can work against the establishment of the beneficial colonisers in a baby s intestines. It is important however that these friendly colonies are established as they carry out many important functions including protecting the infant from many dangerous bacteria and fungi. For mothers it is important to establish friendly bacteria for inner cleansing before the birth of the baby so that the right bacteria can be established in the baby's intestine.
References
Berry, L. 1997, Internal Cleansing: Rid Your Body of Toxins and Return to Vibrant Good Health. Prima.
Cabot, S. 1999, The Healthy Liver and Bowel Book. WHAS.
Cabot, S. and Jasinska, M. 2005, The Ultimate Detox. WHAS.
Chaitow, L. 1998, Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics. Thorsons.
Davies, S. and A. Stewart., 1997, Nutritional Medicine. Pan.
Trenev, N, 1998, Probiotics Nature s Internal Healers. Avery Pub.
Dr Jenny Tylee is an experienced health professional who is passionate about health and wellbeing. She believes that health is not just absence of disease and seeks to actively promote vitality and wellness through empowering others. She encourages people to improve their health by quit smoking, cleansing their body, taking essential, non contaminated vitamin and mineral supplements (from healthproductssite.com) and many other methods, including herbal remedies. She also owns Healthy Living blog.
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