We hear so much about gut health for adults and how important it is for overall health. However the reality is this is just as important for kids and even more so for babies.
For a long time researchers thought that babies were born with virgin or sterile guts. We now know that it actually begins in Utero from mothers digestive system, which is quite fascinating!. So it’s no surprise that often you will see food allergies/intolerances that run in families. Don’t forget though that every baby is bio individual and how genes are expressed depends on diet and lifestyle. Genes are what load the gun but diet and lifestyle that pulls the trigger! So even if you’re a mom struggling with your own gut health, the good news is it that working on your baby’s gut from birth can have a huge impact.
A baby’s microbiome can predict how they develop and what health concerns they are likely to face later in life. So any work that you do in the babies early years can benefit them for the rest of their lives. The immune system, brain development, mental health, cognition and gene expression are all influenced by the state of the gut.
As we all know the amount of chronic childhood illnesses are on the rise, that were all pretty rare in past generations. The truth is... It's not normal for your child to have reflux, colic, hayfever, mucous cough, eczema, constipation, among other common illnesses. It's sadly been normalized but it's not normal. They certainly should not be constantly sick and failing to meet growth milestones. So many of these can be traced back to the foods we are consuming and in turn poor gut health.
According to Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, the creator of the GAPS diet, the microbiome is the determining factor behind whether or not a child functions optimally, or develops conditions as ADHD later in life. She points out that’s its in those first two years of life that the brain matures and learns communication skills and instinctive behaviours. She says that when the microbiome & gut become a major source of toxicity as opposed to a major source of nourishment, the developing brain of the young child is compromised.
There are several factors that influence the gut during the first few months of its life including skin to skin contact, the mode of birth, breastfeeding, formula feeding, medication and environmental exposures all play a role.
The good news is, whatever your journey or issues you face along the way, its never too late or early to start working on your child’s gut health. My own son went through every possible health struggle from silent reflux, eczema, multiple food intolerances, poor sleep, and a host of medications by the time he was two years old. He wasn’t meeting his growth or development milestone until I started working on his gut health. He is now healthy, happy and thriving through nutrition.
In very recent years there have been a lot of published studies linking gut health to allergies and intolerances. The reason being our guts ( good bugs) are the guys that actually digest everything we consume, extract the essential vitamins and minerals and send the waste out of our body via poop! Although sometime our gut doesn’t work as it should, such as in leaky gut, which I will discuss in more detail in a later post.
So even if your baby is suffering from colic, reflux, silent reflux, eczema, digestive issues, the window of opportunity is not gone, it just means even more reason to work on their gut. There is still so much you can do by nourishing their little body’s with fruit, vegetable, whole grains, ferments to feed the good bugs and ensure your child is happy, healthy, pooping sleeping and thriving!
For now I want to focus on the introduction of solids – when the food is introduced, how it is introduced, and which foods all have a massive impact on the gut.
By supporting the healthy development of your baby’s microbiome or good gut bugs, you can have a positive impact on the crucial stages of growth and development, function of their immune system into adulthood. It even has the power to influence your baby’s mood and cognitive development. During the first 2-3 years is when we have the greatest control over their environment. So lets get cracking and build a robust gut from your baby one plant at a time!.
Considerations before starting solids:
Before starting your solids journey there a few things you need to consider.
1. Readiness for Solids: Most research will say that starting solids after 17 weeks along with breastmilk, while most will say around the 6 month mark. My advice is Hold the solids and look at your baby, waiting for gut closure and infant readiness before starting to complement breastfeeding. I’m sure if you have a baby with reflux, you have been told to start solids early ( as I was), unfortunately there is no scientific evidence to suggest that this will help in any way.
If your child is still suffering from colic or reflux and showing lots of signs of digestive stress, it will make it even harder for you to determine if they are having a reaction to new food introduced. If solids are started before a baby’s system is ready to handle them, it may cause additional digestive issues including gas, constipation etc.
What do I mean by gut closure, well all babies guts are open until around 17 weeks of age. This ‘open gut’ means that the space between cells in small intestine are wide open for undigested particles or pathogens, this gradually closes between the ages of 4-6 months.
Some babies with atopic eczema may have a food allergy or intolerance, which can worsen their symptoms. In eczema is a key sign that food intolerance exists. Dairy is one of the usual suspects along with salicylates.
There is some research that claims that babies with eczema absorb food in their gut differently to other babies. This is why they may experience reactions to may foods and is another reason to delay until at least 6 months of age.
2. Use a diary to track any potential reactions
Be aware that reactions can come in many forms some of which include the following:
Irritability/inconsolable crying
Vomiting
Nasal congestion (common for dairy intolerance)
Skin issues (rashes, pimples around mouth, eczema)
Changes in bowel movements- constipated or explosive
Hives and welts any swelling.
Reflux worsens
Mucous cough
Some food sensitivities can show up within 2 hours of eating the trigger food such as itching or being uncomfortable. It is very common for some to be delayed between 6 to 24 hours. This is why it is super important to only introduce 1 food at a time for 3 days.
Note any mild reactions and seek medical advice immediately if notice any major swelling or breathing issues. Do not try eliminating any foods without advice try to follow my protocol for eating a balanced diet when food are removed.
3. Aim for Whole foods:
All store bought foods contain chemicals such as preservatives and emulsifiers which can interfere with the gut and kill off your good gut bugs. Even some organic baby rice products have been recalled due to high levels of arsenic. Its best to delay until much older before introducing any convenience foods. For course for emergencies its ok, it just wont hold any nutritional value as its boiled at high temperature.
Try to use organic and seasonal fruit and vegetables. These will have reduced exposure to pesticides although they still may contain some. Make sure to wash all well with vegetable cleaner. If budget does not permit you can follow the EWG Dirty Dozen, you will be surprised to see those with highest pesticides.
When introducing meat, try to opt for grass fed pasture raised. The higher quality meat will have more of the nutrients as well as be free of nasty hormones and antibiotics.
4. Maintain all nutrients: When cooking vegetables, steaming or roasting is the best method to retain nutrients. Secondly any fruit should be fully ripe which helps the body to digest more easily. Eg a more brown banana will have more amylase to break down carbs. A ripe avocado will have more lipase to break down fat.
5. Purees: Make sure that is without lumps, you can dilute it with either breast milk or even one tablespoon of homemade bone broth (recipe in blog). After 9 months of age when solids are well established and you have checked for allergens, you can also add a tiny amount of ghee or coconut oil. This helps to absorb more nutrients from vegetables. If child has an issue with dairy steer you will need to stay clear of ghee for some time. Coconut and coconut oil is a great alternative but it can also be an allergen. (my son has a coconut intolerance) so be mindful of this even thought is has some amazing therapeutic properties.
6.Ferments & Probiotics:
When it comes to probiotics, I prefer to start with fermented food. The reason being, there are several different strains all of which have a specific benefit. You could actually do more harm than good if you are feeding only one kind of bacteria which result in an imbalance. For eg if your child is suffering with eczema or food allergies a specific strain of L-rhamnosus GG is more suitable. You should always seek advice from your medical practitioner to ensure you are using the right strain.
Starting with fermented food such as 1 tsp of homemade sauerkraut juice, homemade coconut yoghurt & Kefir, will contain a wide range of beneficial bacteria to support the development of your baby’s gut. This is particularly important for c-section babies who miss out on beneficial bacteria from the mother’s birth canal. However you need to start with very small amounts, and take not of any issues with digestion and build upwards.
7. Bone Broth:
Bone broth is another powerful home-cooked food that you can add to all of your baby’s purees. It heals and seals the gut lining to support their developing immune system as well as brain function. You can find recipe on my blog. For younger babies need to be careful of the ingredients you use.
Food that does not support the gut:
If your child is already showing some signs of a food sensitivity/ intolerance or allergy or have Reflux, eczema, CMPA, CMPI. There are certain foods you should avoid until the child is more than 1 year old, including dairy, gluten, nightshades.
Even though dairy is a great source of protein for those that can tolerate it, Its also one of the top 10 allergens that can cause a whole host of symptoms. There are lots of alternative sources such as pureed beans, lentils and meats. Cow’s milk should not be given directly to any baby before 1 years old. You can test for any sensitivity with cottage cheese or cheese around this age. There are lots of great alternatives for milk. One of my all time favorites is Camel Milk. Yes I did say camel ! It sounds absolutely bizarre and my husband still cant get his head around it but this golden milk is packed with goodness for a baby struggling with gut health. It is low allergenic, no beta-casein protein ( which is what people react too), also low in lactase for those with lactose intolerance. It has more Vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, iron than cows milk. If you are able to get your hands on raw camel milk. There have also been countless studies proving its benefits for children with behavioral conditions.
Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.
If you want more in-depth info on elimination diets, reintroducing food groups for allergy babies. Sign up for my waitlist for Introduction to solids masterclass.
References:
Gosalbes MJ, Llop S, Vallès Y, Moya A, Ballester F, Francino MP. 2013. Meconium microbiota types dominated by lactic acid or enteric bacteria are differentially associated with maternal eczema and respiratory problems in infants. Clin Exp Allergy, 43(2), 198-211
Penders J, Thijs C, Vink C, Stelma FF, Snijders B, Kummeling I, van den Brandt PA, Stobberingh EE. 2006. Factors Influencing the Composition of the Intestinal Microbiota in Early Infancy. Pediatrics 118(2), 511-21
Probiotics, Prebiotics and Epithelial Tight Junctions: A Promising Approach to Modulate Intestinal Barrier Function
Developmental Readiness of Normal Full Term Infants to Progress from Exclusive Breastfeeding to the Introduction of Complementary Foods. (Naylor & Morrow 2001)
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