Microbiome: The first 1,000 days

In the United States and other developed countries, we have seen a shift over the past several decades in the types of illness people struggle with. Public health campaigns around vaccination, sanitation, and judicious use of antibiotics have largely eradicated many infectious illnesses. As the nature of disease has shifted to inflammatory conditions, we’ve seen a striking increase in allergy and autoimmune conditions such as diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and multiple sclerosis. The microbiome — the varied and teeming colonies of gut bacteria inside of us — may be helping to drive this shift. What is the microbiome? Colonization occurs within the first two years of life. It passes through stages: some exposure in utero occurs with bacteria from the mother’s intestine passing through the placenta into amniotic fluid. Major colonization begins with delivery, when the fetus either passes through the birth canal or is born by cesarean section. Each mode of delivery produces a different colonization pattern. Colonization is further affected by diet (breast milk vs. formula) and weaning to solid foods. Maternal illness during pregnancy and infant illness with the use of antibiotics can disrupt the process. With complete colonization at two years of life, each individual has a unique signature of billions of organisms residing principally in their colon. The nature of colonizing bacteria differs based on geographic location in the world. Why ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Digestive Disorders Family Planning and Pregnancy Inflammation Probiotics Source Type: blogs