Colic, diaper rash, allergies and more: Why infant gut health is key to a healthier baby

2020-03-31T14:01:00

(BPT) - When you become a parent, there are many things you expect and some you just can't anticipate. You'll probably be overwhelmed with how much you can love a tiny human, you'll realize new levels of exhaustion as you wake up all night long for feedings and changing diapers and you'll have a new favorite subject that you’ve never discussed before: poop.

This is for good reason, as the color, the consistency and the texture of poop can be good indicators of your child's health. Your baby’s poop can actually serve as a window into what’s happening in their gut, the balance of good and bad bacteria that are present and serve as an early indicator of potential health issues down the road. If baby is pooping too little or too much and its appearance is outside the norm, it's important for parents to understand why this is happening and how healthy their baby’s gut really is.

Infant gut health is changing

Everybody has good and bad bacteria in their digestive tract. In fact, you might take a probiotic supplement yourself to support the growth of good bacteria. Historically, newborns received much of this good bacteria from their mothers during the birthing process. However, due to the significant rise of c-sections and the use of antibiotics, many new moms are unable to directly transfer a key strain of good bacteria to their baby called B. infantis.

B. infantis is a specific type of good bacteria that's beneficial to babies because it supports digestion and proper immune development, while also crowding out the bad bacteria in their gut. Studies show that more than 90% of newborns are no longer acquiring B infantis naturally, and without it, bad bacteria will thrive in their gut. These bad bacteria create higher risk for both short-term issues like colic, eczema, and diaper rash along with long-term conditions such as allergies, diabetes, and more.

Proactive steps for parents

If you notice a change in your baby's poop, it's important to talk with your pediatrician about your concerns. Wellness visits are an ideal time to discuss issues as well, but if you don't have one in the near future, reach out to your pediatrician to schedule a time to discuss.

While speaking with your doctor or another member of the health care team, bring up concerns about baby's digestive health and ask about the role of the gut microbiome. For instance, data now show that when bad bacteria thrive in the infant gut, baby may experience more frequent loose watery stools, show signs of colic, or develop diaper rash. Since bad bacteria in baby’s gut can cause the pH of their stool to increase, it’s important to ask your doctor about getting a fecal pH test for your child as a simple indicator of their gut microbiome. Recently, an updated reference range for healthy infant stool pH has been established, given the emerging data on this topic.

Baby probiotics can help

Probiotics are living microorganisms, the good bacteria that live mostly in your gut. There are many types of probiotics that are marketed for babies, but Evivo is the only one that contains B. infantis EVC001, which is clinically proven to reduce bad gut bacteria by 80%. B. infantis is the key beneficial bacteria that babies require in their gut for proper gut health.

By ensuring B. infantis is present in your baby’s gut, it helps your baby to fully digest the nutrients he or she is receiving, lowers the pH of baby’s gut to limit the growth of bad bacteria and protects your baby from developing colic, diaper rash and other health conditions later in life.

Be proactive and talk to your child's pediatrician or health care team today. Consider the benefits of probiotics and B. infantis, in particular. To learn more, please visit www.evivo.com.

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