Healthy Microbiome: How to Boost Your Child's Gut Health

With more research developing on the importance of the microbiome, it’s becoming increasingly clear that a healthy immune system starts with a healthy gut. This is especially the case when it comes to children. The first few years of a child’s life are crucial for proper microbiome development. Although a baby’s gut is mostly sterile in the womb (the placenta contains some microbes), the major microbial inoculation begins as the baby descends through the birth canal, picking up vaginal bacteria along the way. Breast milk also provides a great deal of microbes.

As a child begins to eat solid foods, their microbiome continues to evolve based upon dietary intake and environmental factors.

By about age two, a toddler’s microbiome resembles that of an adult.

More than 80% of your immune system lives in the lining of your gut. When good bacteria are destroyed, the bad bacteria proliferate, which can lead to leaky gut and a variety of poor health conditions. Just one round of antibiotics decreases gut microbiome diversity by at least 30%. The diversity of the microbiome is key for immunity, nutrient absorption, and effects on the brain and behavior.

Serve Fermented and Digestive Friendly Foods

Fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut are loaded with probiotics. These can be a tough sell for kids at first, so you may want to start with fermented versions of the veggies your kids already like. Or go extremely basic with fermented ketchup or making your own yogurt.

Kefir and kombucha are also good choices. Kefir can really help with digestion. The active yeast, good bacteria, and excess digestive enzymes provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods you eat.

Eliminate gut-damaging foods. Processed foods, conventional dairy, GMO foods, gluten, and sugar cause some level of gut damage for most people. Bad bacteria feed off of sugar, so the single most impactful way to heal your gut is to kick the sugar habit.

Don’t Be Hyper-Vigilant About Dirt

Of course, we know that good hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of germs. It’s not just the visible grime you should be worried about. A good scrubbing physically removes disease-causing germs. Just be careful about over-sanitizing.

There’s much to be said about good old-fashioned soap and water. I’m not a fan of antibacterial soaps because they kill the good bacteria as well as the bad. This is such a concern that some companies are now removing the antibacterial ingredients from their hand soaps.

And speaking of dirt, get outside and play in the dirt with your kids! It’s one of the best ways to boost your child’s gut health and immune system. Whether it’s gardening or making mud pies, this is therapeutic as well as healthy. Shielding kids from dirt may weaken their immune systems. Plus play helps to alleviate stress, a well-known microbiome damager.

Use Antibiotics Only When Absolutely Necessary

When the number of good bacteria in your intestinal tract is outnumbered by the bad your child may experience gas, bloating, diarrhea, and even constipation. These symptoms can range from mild to quite severe. While just getting sick can result in decreased numbers of good probiotic bacteria, antibiotic use is one of the primary reasons that good bacteria gets wiped from our system.

With certain illnesses, you don’t need medical intervention. If a decongestant or home remedies do the trick, you may not need your doctor. There’s a movement in the medical profession to cut back on prescribing antibiotics. Or if you seek treatment from an naturopathic doctor or Chinese medicine practitioner, they can help you find natural ways of supporting the body back to wellness.

As it turns out, Mother Nature has provided foods that can reduce harmful bacteria in the body, lower inflammation, and build up protective bacteria. Oregano oil is an excellent choice because of its antiviral, antiparasitic, and antibacterial properties.

Along with the probiotics and prebiotics above, add these foods into your family’s meals to boost your child’s gut health: turmeric, echinacea, raw garlic (daily for optimum health), onions, mushrooms, manuka honey.

When it Comes to Antibiotic Use, Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS Suggests:

Don’t take an antibiotic for asthma symptoms, seasonal allergy symptoms, or viral infections like a cold, stomach virus, or the flu.

Keep antibiotic use to when it’s absolutely necessary and only to treat bacterial infections in order to prevent antibiotic resistance.

Never share antibiotics and don’t save antibiotics to use at a later time to take when you’re sick again. Always throw away any pills that are left over after your treatment is over.

Follow antibiotic prescription directions very carefully — don’t skip doses, double up on doses or stop without finishing the cycle.