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breastfeeding

Even Partial Breastfeeding Matters

Even Partial Breastfeeding Matters

Summary: Are you a new mom having problems with breastfeeding your newborn? Even partial breastfeeding alongside formula feeding can help your baby’s developing brain.

 

The benefits of breastfeeding are undeniable. Not only is breastmilk the ideal nutritional source for most infants, there are extra benefits, like reducing your baby’s risks of respiratory allergies and asthma.

 

Although many new moms face challenges that prevent them from breastfeeding their babies every day, there’s no need to stress out!

 

Breastfeeding as often as possible in conjunction with formula feeding may still make a healthy difference in your baby’s brain development, according to scientists at Emory University and the University of Colorado.

 

It’s all in the poop!

 

Researchers analyzed fecal samples from 112 babies at 1- and 6-months-old in search of beneficial metabolites that influence good brain health as well as problematic chemicals that could be harmful.

 

(Scientists describe metabolites as small molecules produced by gut bacteria as byproducts from metabolizing food to make their way through the bloodstream that affect a baby’s organs including her/his developing brain.)

 

Generally, the abundance of metabolites in fecal samples varied greatly depending on how often a baby was breastfed versus formula-fed.

 

For example, metabolites were far more abundant among formula-fed infants at 1-month (40) than in breast-fed babies (17), but that doesn’t tell the complete story.

 

Consuming more metabolites did not ensure better results, especially when those children were tested for cognitive, language and motor functioning at age 2.

 

Based on test scores, researchers identified 14 metabolites from breast milk or formula that were difference-makers.

 

To the good, the presence of cholesterol in stool samples was linked to breastfeeding and better test scores. However, the presence of cadaverine (a known contaminant created via fermentation) in stool samples from formula-fed babies was associated with poorer cognitive scores.

 

Everything in moderation

 

Despite all the evidence that breastfeeding remains the better choice to feed your baby, just 63 percent of all newborns in the U.S. are breastfed exclusively after birth and that number drops to 25 percent by the six-month mark.

 

If you’re a new mom having problems breastfeeding your baby, Dr. Tanya Alderette of the University of Colorado acknowledges the challenges, but it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. Just increasing the amount of breastmilk relative to formula may have positive benefits.

 

However, if you can’t breastfeed your baby as often as you want, give your baby’s gut — the center of their growing immune system — the fuel it needs to thrive with the help of EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder, a multi-species probiotic made exclusively for them.

 

Sprinkling one tiny scoop of EndoMune Junior in your baby’s formula or milk once a day gives your baby’s growing immune system a gentle boost.

 

(Please be sure to check with your pediatrician before starting your baby on EndoMune or any other probiotic.)

References

 

npj Metabolic Health and Disease

 

CU (University of Colorado) Boulder Today

Even Partial Breastfeeding Matters Read More »

Photo of woman breastfeeding an infant

Breastfeeding May Protect Your Baby From COVID

Breastfeeding May Protect Your Baby From COVID

Breastfeeding is one of the best things a Mom can do for her newborn baby’s health for a lot of reasons.

Not only does breastfeeding provide the ideal nutritional mix of fat, vitamins and proteins in a form more easily digestible than formula, breast milk contains beneficial bacteria and prebiotics that seed infant gut microbiomes, giving your newborn baby a natural boost to their developing immune systems.

For at least the first six months of life, breastfeeding can go a long way toward protecting your baby from future health problems, including allergies, asthma, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses.

You can add protection from COVID to that list of benefits for your newborn baby, according to a recent study appearing in the Journal of Perinatology.

 

COVID Protection

Researchers from the University of Florida and University of South Carolina had previously worked on a 2021 study that showed how breast milk from vaccinated women contained antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.

Although scientists detected the presence of antibodies in the earlier study, they couldn’t demonstrate that this protection made it to the microbiomes of babies.

The research team found the evidence they needed in a second study through a comparative analysis of stool samples, breast milk and blood samples collected from babies from vaccinated moms.

After isolating antibodies from infant stool samples, they were added to cells with the same kind of microscopic receptors as COVID, then introduced to a pseudovirus that mimicked COVID but was safe to use in a laboratory setting.

Compared to a control group, the antibodies that fought COVID were far more prevalent among those samples taken from breastfed babies

Beneficial antibodies were also detected in breast milk and blood samples from new moms and were better able to neutralize COVID in the lab too. (However, those antibodies began to diminish after six months, results that mirror other vaccine studies.)

 

Gut-Friendly Options If You Can’t Breastfeed Your Baby

In a perfect world, new moms would have the opportunity to breastfeed their newborn baby for as long they want, but some cannot due to factors beyond their control.

Fortunately, new moms have gut-friendly options at hand to protect their own health and their babies in the form of multi-strain probiotics.

For example, a recent study of moms-to-be found that taking a probiotic formulated with multiple strains of bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, like those found in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, were critical in relieving common health problems during their pregnancies.

In cases when new moms can’t breastfeed, they should consult with their pediatricians about giving their babies a probiotic like EndoMune Jr. Powder that contains four strains of beneficial bacteria along with a natural prebiotic (FOS) that feeds their developing immune systems in their gut.

 

Resources

Journal of Perinatology

University of Florida/IFAS

CDC

Grow by WebMD

Breastfeeding Medicine

Oregon Health and Science University

Breastfeeding May Protect Your Baby From COVID Read More »

Baby lying on its back with an graphic of a digestive system over its body. Text reads "Gut-Brain Axis in Babies

Gut-Brain Axis In Babies

Your Baby’s Developing Gut-Brain Axis

As adults, we know our gut-brain axis — the connection that links our brain, intestines and emotions — is working and when it isn’t.

When those signals between the brain and gut get scrambled, something as simple as eating a highly processed, fast-food diet creates disruptions in the delicate balance of bacteria in our guts that can soon lead to obesity and lots more stress in our lives.

You may be surprised to learn that the gut-brain axis is at work even at the beginning of our lives as infants, and it’s noticeable when it isn’t.

If you’re a new mom who wonders why her newborn may be more fearful and fussier than you expected, it may be linked to the diversity of your baby’s gut and how it may shape their developing gut-brain axis.

 

The Fear Factor

Looking for new ways to support healthy neurological development, researchers at Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina teamed up for a study to compare fearful reactions experienced by infants to the balance of bacteria in their developing microbiomes.

Reacting to fearful things is a normal part of infant development. But, when those responses continue even in safe situations, that could signal an elevated risk of your baby developing anxiety and depression later on in life, says Dr. Rebecca Knickmeyer of Michigan State, leader of the study published in Nature Communications.

To learn how infant gut microbiomes were connected to the fear response, investigators conducted a year-long study with 30 infants who were breastfeeding and hadn’t been prescribed antibiotics.

Scientists evaluated the mix of gut bacteria based on stool samples taken from infants at 1 month and 12 months and assessed their fear responses with a simple test: Watching how each baby reacted when a stranger entered a room wearing a Halloween mask.

Parents were with their babies the whole time and they could jump in whenever they wanted, Knickmeyer says. “These are really the kinds of experiences infants would have in their everyday lives.”

No surprise, newborns who were more fearful at age 1 had very noticeable imbalances in gut bacteria at 1 month compared to those whose microbiomes remained stable. But that’s not all.

Using MRI imaging of those children’s brains, researchers discovered the diversity or lack of it in their developing guts was linked to the size of their amygdala, the sector of the brain responsible for making quick decisions about potential threats.

 

The Future Of Your Baby’s Gut

The results of this report highlight how important it is to protect the balance of bacteria in your baby’s gut, even when they breastfeed, and avoid antibiotics, for the sake of their developing gut-brain axis.

This may be a good time to talk to your pediatrician about giving your baby’s gut some extra help in the form of a probiotic

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use probiotic with the right mix of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families plus a prebiotic that feeds the good guys in their gut, we hope you’ll consider EndoMune Jr. Powder.

Just a half-teaspoon of EndoMune Jr. sprinkled in your baby’s formula or added to soft foods (when your baby is ready) once a day can make a healthy difference.

 

Resources

Nature Communications

Michigan State University

Gut-Brain Axis In Babies Read More »

Photograph of infant holding mother's thumb. Text reads "Protect Your Baby's Gut Health from Allergies

The Link Between Childhood Allergies And Gut Health

Protect Your Baby’s Gut Health From Allergies

Building great gut health starts with a solid foundation. For a new mom, that’s making gut-smart choices like breastfeeding her new baby for as long as she can and doing her best to avoid a c-section birth.

Doing those two things can go a long way toward developing a diverse, balanced microbiome that protects your child from persistent health issues like allergies as he/she grows up.

Unfortunately, c-section rates remain high for new moms (even for those first-time moms with low-risk births) and breastfeeding numbers drop sharply after 6 months, according to numbers collected by the CDC.

So, we shouldn’t be surprised that childhood allergies are also on the rise due to a lack of diversity in gut bacteria, according to a pair of reports.

 

Gut Bacteria Imbalances

The findings of the two studies, appearing recently in Nature Communications and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, mirrored each other in one important way: The balance of bacteria determined a child’s susceptibility to food or respiratory allergies.

For example, Italian researchers in the Nature study identified specific microbial signatures that stood out due to their higher inflammatory potential (thanks to an uptick in the production of pro-inflammatory molecules) and depleted levels of beneficial bacteria in fecal samples taken from allergic kids compared to healthy ones.

Overall, less than a third of the children with food allergies developed a healthy immunity to problematic foods like cow’s milk, eggs, nuts, or fruit by the end of a three-year monitoring period.

These same challenges with the lack of microbial diversity were very evident in the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology study over an extended five-year time-frame too.

Based on stool samples taken from children ages 3-5, patients with allergies had far less diverse microbiomes than healthy kids, especially among young patients sensitive to peanuts and milk.

 

A Probiotic Solution

Although there were no mentions in either study about breastfeeding or natural childbirth, based on previous reports we’ve shared, we know both have a positive impact on reducing your child’s chances of food or respiratory allergies.

Not to mention, feeding your baby formula exclusively has been found to increase the incidence of respiratory problems and asthma significantly.

Unfortunately, more than a few new moms may not have the option of having natural childbirth or breastfeeding, so what do you do?

You may want to consider giving your baby a multi-species probiotic like EndoMune Junior Advanced Powder that contains four basic building blocks of beneficial bacteria from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families, along with a prebiotic (FOS) that feeds the good guys in her/his developing gut.

But, before starting your baby on EndoMune Junior in its powdered form or its Chewable berry-flavored tablet, please check in with your pediatrician.

 

Resources

Pediatric Allergy Immunology

Medscape

Nature Communications

Microbiome Post.com

The Link Between Childhood Allergies And Gut Health Read More »

photo of sleeping preemie baby

How Multi-Strain Probiotics May Help Preemie Babies

There’s plenty of steps that moms can take to protect the health of their newborn babies. Most experts agree breastfeeding and natural childbirth — both providing great gut health benefits too — sit at the top of that to-do list.

But, even the best-laid plans of moms and pediatricians can fall by the wayside when a newborn arrives prematurely (before the 37th week of gestation).

After a period of decline, preemie births have rebounded upward to nearly 10 percent of all births in the U.S. This creates opportunities for many more health problems among infants, according to the CDC.

Fortunately, moms and pediatricians may have a new weapon to help preemies, according to Cell Reports Medicine: Multi-strain probiotics.

The probiotics-breastfeeding combo

Few hospitals treat preemie babies with probiotics out of caution. Some health experts believe probiotics aren’t used because there’s been little evidence to demonstrate their benefits.

However, a sizeable number of preemies are delivered via C-section, creating many more health obstacles for infants and their developing immune systems in the gut.

That’s where multi-strain probiotics come in. A group of British researchers studied the benefits of probiotics via fecal samples collected from a group of 234 infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) over their first 100 days of life.

All infants in this trial were fed human breast milk. In addition, 101 babies received a probiotic containing Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus. (Both are among the four featured strains in EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder recommended for children up to age 3.)

The probiotic difference

The combination of breast milk and multi-strain probiotics was a difference-maker for that group of infants due to the addition of Bifidobacterium bifidum to their tiny bodies, according to researchers.

This strain of Bifidobacterium allowed infants to better digest breast milk, giving their developing immune systems a gentle boost in two important ways:

  1. Bifidobacterium bifidum contains genes that enable babies to better digest specific sugars in breast milk for use as prebiotics. (Prebiotics function as food for the good bugs in their guts.)
  2. pH levels dropped in stool samples, a good sign that health-harming bacteria won’t thrive.

“We hope that our findings will help direct future clinical trials and practice and help clinicians and healthcare professionals make a rational choice when it comes to diet-microbe combinations and ultimately help these at-risk preterm babies,” says Dr. Lindsay Hall, study co-author and a researcher at the Quadram Institute.

Despite the best of plans, however, many moms don’t have a choice whether to deliver their babies prematurely or via C-section. However, EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder makes it easy to support the healthy immune development of young infants.

Sprinkling a tiny scoop of EndoMune Junior in your baby’s food or formula once a day can make a big difference!

(Please consult with your pediatrician before starting your baby on EndoMune Junior or any probiotic.)

 

References

University of East Anglia

Cell Reports Medicine

Penn Medicine News

Nature

CDC

 

 

 

 

How Multi-Strain Probiotics May Help Preemie Babies Read More »

mom holding up baby and kissing it on the cheek

Breastfeeding: Protecting Your Baby from Allergies

Allergies are among the most common and persistent health problems children face. Children’s allergies come with a myriad number of causes and symptoms ranging from “hay fever” (allergic rhinitis,) and skin rashes (hives and eczema) to more concerning conditions like asthma. In worst cases, kid’s allergies trigger serious health problems such as life-threatening allergic reactions to certain foods or medications. Allergies affect up to nearly 10 percent of all kids under age 18.

Mothers wants their children to be as healthy as possible, and wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to help prevent your child from developing allergies? Previously, we showed how easy it is to boost a baby’s immune system and gut health through a simple practice like breastfeeding.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends new mothers breastfeed their babies for at least the first six months of the baby’s life, and new studies suggest that breastfeeding helps to prevent your child from developing allergies.

However, many new mothers find it problematic to breastfeed for the entire six months, but infants breastfed every day for just his/her first three months may reduce their chances of developing respiratory allergies and asthma significantly by the time your child is old enough to go to school.

The benefits of breastfeeding

Many scientists have examined the benefits of breastfeeding, but most limited their research to an all-or-nothing choice, meaning the studies focused on infants who were breastfed against those who were not breastfed. Infants whose mothers breastfed intermittently were ignored. Now, a study from the University of Maryland at Baltimore evaluated health data on nearly 1,200 moms and babies obtained from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, based on intermittent periods of exclusive breastfeeding over the first three months of their lives. To be clear, these mothers alternated between feeding their babies breastmilk and formula.

These mothers reported their breastfeeding schedules in addition to any incidents of viral infections or wheezing during the first three months of their baby’s life. The also reported when they introduced solid foods, complete family health histories, and other health related variables. Then, scientists examined the aggregated data looking for incidents of respiratory problems and asthma at age 6.

The data clearly indicated that nearly one third of these children, who were breastfed exclusively for their first three months, were 23 percent more likely to avoid respiratory allergies, and 34 percent of them were less likely to have asthma (but only if they didn’t have a family history of asthma).

On the other hand, intermittent breastfeeding had little significant effect on reducing the risk of developing respiratory ailments.

Significantly, infants fed exclusively with formula experienced the highest rates of asthma and respiratory problems.

A healthy option if you can’t breastfeed

Unfortunately, less than half of all working mothers in America are able to breastfeed their newborns exclusively through the first three months of their lives. That percentage drops to 25 percent through the first six months, according to the CDC. These unfortunate statistics mean a large population of American infants risk developing allergies that otherwise would be potentially preventable with natural breastfeeding.

Fortunately, concerned mothers unable to exclusively breastfeed their baby can help protect their baby’s immune system, safely, effectively, and help them avoid developing allergies or asthma with a probiotic formulated exclusively just for infants like EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder. Sprinkling one tiny scoop of EndoMune Junior in their food or formula once a day feeds the good bugs in your baby’s gut and gives his/her growing immune system the gentle boost he/she needs!

(Please be sure to check with your pediatrician before starting your baby on EndoMune or any probiotic.)

Resources

Breastfeeding: Protecting Your Baby from Allergies Read More »

Fussy baby being held by mother

The Probiotic Solution For Colic

Among the many problems parents face with their newborn babies, the one many moms and dads dread the most is the prolonged and frequent crying that comes with colic.

Crying and fussiness are very normal for babies up to three to four months old, especially when they’re tired, hungry or uncomfortable.

When parents encounter sudden distress and intense crying from their babies for no outward reason and that no amount of consoling relieves (for more than three hours a day for several times a week and lasting for more than three weeks), colic is the usual culprit.

Why does colic happen?

There’s no single reason colic occurs, although experts have targeted a few factors related to a baby’s developing gut health:

  1. Extra gas due to swallowing too much while crying.
  2. An undeveloped digestive system.
  3. A gut bacteria imbalance.
  4. Food allergies.
  5. Acid reflux.

Are you giving up on breastfeeding too soon?

Although colic is a short-lived problem — most babies outgrow it by the time they reach four months — the stress moms feel during this time may push some to give up breastfeeding early.

As you know, breastfeeding provides a healthy mix of vitamins, fats and protein along with antibodies that fortify a baby’s growing immune system.

Protecting a baby’s developing gut health at such an early time is critical, especially if a mom has delivered her child via C-section.

A C-section delivery, can alter the delicate balance of bacteria in their developing microbiomes, leaving babies more vulnerable to health problems like respiratory infections.

There are many ways to ease colic in young babies by decreasing their stimulation to sounds and noises or taking them for a ride in a car or stroller.

But these simple steps don’t help their developing gut health…

Boost your baby’s developing gut health with probiotics

Probiotics are emerging as the go-to way to treat colic and protect a baby’s developing gut health, according to a growing number of scientific reports.

In one recent clinical trial, Italian researchers tested the effect of probiotics as a treatment on a group of infants less than two months old who were diagnosed with colic.

Half of the 80 babies monitored were given a placebo while the rest received a single-species probiotic for 28 days.

Among 80 percent of the babies who received a probiotic containing Bifidobacteria lactis, the duration of their daily crying due to colic dropped by more than 50 percent.

(Bifidobacteria lactis is one of four strains of beneficial bacteria contained in EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic Powder formulated for newborns through age 3.)

So, why does giving your baby a probiotic relieve colic?

Scientists believe probiotics increase the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that has been linked to reducing inflammation and increasing bone volume.

Babies who were given a probiotic also enjoyed longer sleep and more frequent and consistent stools, all things that will improve your baby’s developing gut health and calm your peace of mind.

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Mayo Clinic

Healthline

American Pregnancy Association

Cleveland Clinic

The Probiotic Solution For Colic Read More »

Child prepared for food allergy reaction with epipen in lunchbox

Children’s Food Allergies and Gut Bacteria Imbalances

Children’s food allergies can be some of the most frustrating and common problems parents face.

Although some 170 foods can cause reactions, most of the problems kids have — ranging from mild to severe and fatal — can be boiled down to eight.

  • Wheat
  • Shellfish
  • Soy
  • Tree nuts (pecans, pistachios)
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Peanuts
  • Milk

What’s more, 40 percent of kids with food allergies are allergic to more than one food, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).

And, if you’re wondering when or if a child “outgrows” a food allergy, often it depends on the food. Some food allergies begin to fade away by age 5 (wheat, milk, egg, soy) while others are much more persistent (tree nuts, seafood, peanuts).

In one very tragic case reported earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy allergic to fish died by exposure to fumes from cod cooking on a stove.

Food allergies aren’t the only health problems young children face, however. Many of today’s children are born via C-section, have fewer opportunities to breastfeed and are exposed to antibiotics.

All of these things deplete your child’s gut health, leading to a host of other problems, not to mention slowing down the development of his/her immune system.

You can add food allergies to that list of problems, based on recent studies. (But there may be some hope on the way!)

Butyrate strikes again!

The common link between both studies: Healthy kids have gut microbiomes that are very different from those with allergies, according to two recent studies appearing in Nature Medicine.

This research followed somewhat similar models in that both collected fecal samples from healthy children and those with allergies, then transplanted them in mice to observe how their bodies reacted.

In the study conducted by scientists at the University of Chicago and Italy, the bodies of germ-free mice receiving gut bacteria as fecal transplants from eight healthy babies or ones with a food allergy to cow’s milk (the most common food allergy) reacted as you’d expect.

Germ-free mice receiving food-allergic bacteria experienced anaphylaxis, a severe and possibly life-threatening reaction, after drinking cow’s milk for the first time, while those with healthy bacteria didn’t.

After digging deeper into the composition of gut bacteria among test animals, researchers identified the species Anaerostipes caccae that may protect the body from allergic reactions when present in the gut. This species is part of bigger class of bacteria (Clostridia) that has been found to protect the body from nut allergies.

This class of bacteria also produces butyrate, a substance already known for protecting the gut from inflammation and more harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli.

Missing gut bacteria

A similar and more recent study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital also took fecal matter from babies with and without food allergies, then transplanted it into mice that were sensitive to eggs.

Again, the mice receiving healthy gut bacteria were more protected from allergies than the those that were given bacteria sensitive to eggs. But that’s not all…

With the help of detailed analyses, researchers developed a two probiotic mixes of multiple strains of beneficial human gut bacteria that successfully suppressed allergic reactions in mice already experiencing problems.

Could a response to a food allergy be reversed with probiotics? This is very possible, given a report I shared with you recently that found Moms who took a probiotic and fish oil delivered babies who were more protected from eczema and egg allergies.

There’s a lot you can do to protect your baby’s gut after she/he is born, even if natural childbirth isn’t in the cards, starting with breastfeeding, full of nutrition and the healthy microbes your young child needs.

However, if breastfeeding is an issue or your baby needs an antibiotic to fight a common infection, you can turn to EndoMune Jr. Advanced Probiotic Powder, an infant probiotic containing a blend of four building block strains of beneficial bacteria plus a prebiotic.

Children’s Food Allergies and Gut Bacteria Imbalances Read More »

Children laughing and playing tug-of-war

The Gut Facts About Childhood Obesity

A Harvard study came to the sobering conclusion nearly two years ago that a majority of today’s children (57 percent) are projected to become obese by the time they reach age 35. Would you feel a little better about your child’s future knowing you could take steps to protect her/him from becoming an obesity statistic? Medical science may be able to predict if a child is at risk for becoming overweight or obese by checking his/her microbiome at age 2.

Body mass index (BMI) was the key takeaway from an analysis of gut health data collected from the Norwegian Microbiota (NoMIC) study of children born between 2002-08 in a southern Norway hospital who are close to or already in their teen years (the findings were published in the journal, mBio). Researchers from Norway and the U.S. examined gut health information collected on 165 children six times during their first two years of life — day 4, day 10, 1 month, 4 months, 1 year and 2 years — then compared it to their body mass index (BMI) at age 12. Based on gene sequencing, scientists found noticeable differences in a child’s gut bacteria at two distinct times — day 10 and age 2 — that were associated with an accurate BMI prediction at age 12.

“At the early time points, there was somewhat of a relationship between the gut microbiota taxa and later BMI, but the relationship was much stronger as the kids got older,” says Dr. Maggie Stanislawski, the first author for the study who works at the LEAD Center, affiliated with the Colorado School of Public Health. “At 2 years, it was the strongest.” Moreover, this gut health profile existed before any outward signs of extra weight or obesity, leading scientists to speculate poor dietary choices could be the culprit.

These findings also mirror ones from a recent report about the overuse of antibacterial cleaners depleting a baby’s gut of just enough health-promoting bacteria that it elevated her/his obesity risks by age 3.

What you can do about it

Giving your child a gut-healthy start is critical to their health, even into their active teen years. Breastfeeding coupled with natural childbirth can make a HUGE difference in your baby’s gut health, along with feeding them good foods rich in dietary fiber.

Also, you want to be aware limit your child’s exposure to antibiotics as much as you safely can. The more you expose your young child to antibiotics, the greater his/her risk of obesity. One more safe and healthy way to boost the gut health of your son or daughter and protect him/her from the many health risks associated with childhood obesity is also an easy one.

If you’ve been looking for probiotics for children, EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic contains four key building blocks of beneficial bacteria plus a prebiotic that feeds the good bugs in your child’s gut. Moreover, EndoMune Junior Advanced Probiotic comes in a powder you can sprinkle on soft foods (for children up to age 3) and a chewable berry-flavored tablet (for children ages 3-8).

The Gut Facts About Childhood Obesity Read More »

baby on back laying on white sheet

Protect Your C-Section Baby’s Gut

For the longest time, new Moms delivering their babies via C-section was an atypical thing. It was mostly warranted in cases when the health of an infant, parent or both was at risk.

Over the past 20 years, however, C-section delivery rates have soared, nearly doubling to almost 30 million annually, amounting to 21 percent of all births worldwide.

After peaking a decade ago, C-section births in America are on the rise again at 32 percent. This procedure remains very high among older women (age 40 and over), according to the CDC.

Nevertheless, the decision to deliver your baby via C-section — even as common as they are — comes with risks as we’ve seen time and again, especially if obesity plays a factor.

C-section babies may also have altered gut microbiomes that could leave them more vulnerable to respiratory infections in their first year, according to the results of research presented at the recent European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

No antibiotics!

Scientists monitored the health of 46 babies delivered via C-Section and 74 babies delivered vaginally over their first year of life by collecting and analyzing fecal samples.

Interestingly, antibiotics weren’t given to new Moms after their deliveries until the umbilical cords were clamped, meaning these gut-altering drugs weren’t a factor in the health of their babies. (Researchers also collected and tested fecal samples from these new Moms two weeks after their deliveries too.)

No surprise, the differences in the composition of gut bacteria between babies delivered naturally versus C-section were very obvious, particularly shortly after birth.

  • The gut microbiota of C-section babies was less stable during their first year.
  • The development of the health-promoting Bifidobacterium species among C-section babies was delayed.
  • C-section babies had higher levels of potentially bad gut bacteria and more problems with respiratory infections.
  • Babies delivered vaginally had the extra advantage of measurable seeding from their Moms.

What to do if…

If you’re a soon-to-be Mom and a C-section is definitely in your future, what you can do to give your baby a gut-friendly start in his/her life?

For starters, you can do the right thing by breastfeeding your baby which gives your baby a good mix of natural proteins, vitamins and fats, plus antibodies that help their developing immune systems.

(Helping your baby’s gut develop naturally is one of the 18 benefits of breastfeeding!)

Unfortunately, what happens if you’re unable to breastfeed for as long as you wanted or health problems make it impossible?

New Moms may want to take the healthy step — with expert guidance from their doctor or pediatrician — to give their babies an infant probiotic.

EndoMune Jr. Advanced Probiotic Powder contains 10 billion CFUs and four key strains of beneficial bacteria plus FOS (a prebiotic that feeds the bugs in a baby’s developing gut) that be sprinkled on foods or added to their formulas.

As you travel on this new adventure to become a Mom — for the first time or the next time — being equipped with all of the information you need to make this excursion a safe and healthy one for you and your baby is critical.

Protecting your baby’s gut health is an important part of getting there.

Protect Your C-Section Baby’s Gut Read More »

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