\u2013 According to a study by the Environmental Working Group, a total of 287 industrial chemicals were found in 10 newborn babies. Coupled with a decline in nutritional quality of a child\u2019s diet, there has been an increased incidence of childhood diseases.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Our gut is home to trillions of microorganisms known as the gut microbiota.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Gut health is linked to a child\u2019s development in at least 4 ways: physical growth, nervous system growth, immune system growth, and respiratory system growth.<\/p>\n
\u2013 It is crucial we maintain a healthy balance of beneficial gut bacteria which may be achieved through taking prebiotics.<\/p>\n
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The presence of high levels of toxins in the modern world can adversely affect the development of fetuses and children. The umbilical cord provides for nutrients for the growth of the fetus in a mother\u2019s womb. However, at the same time, it also carries chemicals and pollutants from the modern day\u2019s environment. According to a study by the Environmental Working Group, a total of 287 industrial chemicals were found in 10 newborn babies [1]. Coupled with the decline in nutritional quality of a child\u2019s diet, there has been an increase in the incidences of chronic diseases such as eczema, obesity and several types of infections [2].<\/p>\n
Other than improving the diet of our children in this modern-day environment, the role of supplementation cannot be undermined. Various supplements such as\u00a0prebiotics<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0can help to improve our gut health by enhancing the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Our gut is also linked to various other body systems such as the brain via the\u00a0gut-brain axis<\/a><\/strong>, and the central nervous system [3]. How can we utilize this benefit and promote healthy growth and development for your children? Read on the find out more.<\/p>\n Our gut comprises of trillions of microorganisms. This unique set of microorganisms harbored within the gut is also commonly referred to as the\u00a0gut microbiota<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(or gut microbiome). It comprises of various species ranging from bacterial, to viral, to fungal species. A healthy gut comprises a set of microorganisms that are largely beneficial to our health (e.g.,\u00a0Lactobacillus<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Bifidobacterium spp.)<\/em>, minimizing the species that are detrimental to our health [4].<\/p>\n The innate set of gut microbiota is thought to be the\u00a0most suitable and optimum<\/strong>\u00a0for oneself and it starts developing as early as when the fetus is in the mother\u2019s womb [5]. This optimum composition deteriorates as we age. Along with poorer modern-day diets lacking in prebiotics (i.e., food for the beneficial gut bacteria) as well as increased use of medications such as antibiotics, the composition and amount of good gut bacteria decrease even faster. This would lead to poorer gut health which may lead to negative effects such as constipation, unhealthy\u00a0blood pressure<\/a>\u00a0[6],\u00a0sugar<\/a>\u00a0[7] and\u00a0cholesterol levels<\/a>\u00a0[8], as well as poor cardiovascular [9], respiratory [10] and immune health [11].<\/p>\n A child\u2019s development can be divided into 4 distinct phases: infancy, preschool, middle childhood, and adolescence. Any divergence from certain developmental milestones could be a signal for disease such as obesity, allergies, or asthma [12]. The gut microbiota of a child can be affected by the following:<\/p>\n \u2013 Mode of delivery: infant\u00a0delivered vaginally<\/strong>\u00a0will have colonization which is represented by the mother\u2019s vaginal tract. An infant who is\u00a0delivered via caesarean section<\/strong>\u00a0will more likely have colonization by maternal skin and oral microbes [13]. The infants\u2019 gut microbiota will mature into a more complex one that resembles an adult-like gut microbiota after the first year of life. Use of medications such as antibiotics can also affect the composition and amount of gut microbiota. Read on to find out how the gut microbiota of a child will affect the different elements of his or her general development.<\/p>\n 1. Body growth<\/strong><\/p>\n The gut microbiota plays a role in the general\u00a0physical growth<\/strong>\u00a0by affecting nutrients absorption and growth hormone signaling. A disruption in the gut microbiota can affect the infant\u2019s weight. Studies have been done to examine the effects of gut microbiota on malnutrition and poor growth. Fecal matter of malnourished twins was transplanted into mice and subsequently developed\u00a0weight loss<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0metabolic changes<\/strong>\u00a0[15]. A separate study in Bangladesh children also shown significantly altered gut microbiota composition in children with malnutrition [16].<\/p>\n These studies done point to the possibility that the gut microbiota plays an important role in affecting the general physical growth of an infant, on top of dietary modifications.<\/p>\n 2. Central Nervous System (CNS) growth<\/strong><\/p>\n The brain and the gut communicate bidirectionally through the\u00a0gut-brain axis<\/strong>. Research in mice have found that a normal gut microbiota can affect normal brain development as well as behavioral functions [17]. In studies involving humans, the alteration of gut microbiota (i.e.,\u00a0dysbiosis<\/strong>) was also associated with neurodevelopmental issues such as\u00a0attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)<\/strong>\u00a0[18].<\/p>\n Dysbiosis can result in changes in the metabolite profiles, which then affects the bidirectional communication with the CNS.<\/p>\n 3. Immune system growth<\/strong><\/p>\n During the infants\u2019 developmental stages, the immune system and gut microbiome are co-dependent on each other. The gut microbiota often acts as the first line of defense against pathogens by activating the infant\u2019s\u00a0innate immunity<\/strong>. The gut microbiota is also involved in production and differentiation of certain immune cells such as the T cells [19]. Other immunological diseases such asthma and allergies may also be associated with changes in the gut microbiota [12].<\/p>\n 4. Respiratory system growth<\/strong><\/p>\n Other than the gut-brain and gut-immune axis, there are also studies which demonstrated the existence of a\u00a0gut-lung axis<\/strong>. This communication involving the gut microbiota and lung microbiota plays a role not just in gastrointestinal functions but also in lung immunity [10]. Dysbiosis has been associated with respiratory diseases such as asthma, one of the most common childhood diseases [20]. Metabolites produced by the healthy gut microbiota through fermenting prebiotics may also have\u00a0anti-inflammatory<\/strong>\u00a0effects in the lungs [21].<\/p>\n 5. Other ways gut health affects the child<\/strong><\/p>\n Although not directly involved in the development of these organs and systems in the infancy stage, the gut microbiota has profound effects in these areas as the infant and child grows up:<\/p>\n \u2013 Cardiovascular system [22] The gut microbiota can act as a central regulator for metabolism. As the gut microbiota develops rapidly in the early years of one\u2019s life, it is crucial to ensure optimum health of our gut microbiota to prevent such long-term cardiovascular and metabolic complications that may arise due to a poor balance of gut microbiota [23].<\/p>\n The importance of gut health in the healthy growth and development of a child cannot be undermined. With gut health and the gut microbiota having effects around most of the body systems\u2019 development, it is crucial we maintain a healthy balance of beneficial gut bacteria. This may be achieved through taking prebiotics to enhance the growth of the good gut microbiota.<\/p>\n Key Points: \u2013 According to a study by the Environmental Working Group, a total of 287 industrial chemicals were found in 10 newborn babies. Coupled with a decline in nutritional quality of a child\u2019s diet, there has been an increased incidence of childhood diseases. \u2013 Our gut is home to trillions of microorganisms known as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2025,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat constitutes gut health?<\/h3>\n
How is gut health linked to child\u2019s development?<\/h3>\n
\n\u2013 Infant diet:\u00a0breast-fed<\/strong>\u00a0infants have microbiota mainly consisting of\u00a0Lactobacillus\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Bifidobacterium spp<\/em>. Formula-fed infants\u2019 gut microbiota are more likely to contain species like\u00a0Clostridium<\/em>\u00a0[14].<\/p>\n
\n\u2013 Metabolic system: blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels [6-8]<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h3>\n
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\nPrebiotic: Gut Microbiota, Gut Health, and Beyond<\/a><\/p>\nReferences<\/h3>\n
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