The Importance of Healthy Gut Bacteria in Childhood

A recent podcast episode of Pathways to Well-Being featured Elizabeth Mumper, president and CEO of the Rimland Center for Integrative Medicine in Lynchburg, Virginia, which provides personalized pediatric care for children with neurodevelopmental problems.

Dr. Mumper discussed the importance of preserving healthy gut bacteria in children, stressing that when children have a balanced microbiome they grow into healthy adults. She explained that children are resilient despite today’s overuse of antibiotics and antacids during infancy. Both medications significantly disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut. She said the first 1,000 days of life are important for establishing a good gut flora and developing oral tolerance.

It is important to look at risk factors that put a newborn’s delicate microbiome at risk. Being born by C-section, having antibiotics during delivery, or if the mother is not able to breastfeed are all factors that deprive the baby of the Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria that are a good foundation for a robust gut flora.

Nutrient-dense diets rich in fresh whole foods help their innate immune system, which is the first line of defense.

Chronic inflammation is tied to deficiencies in the microbiome, and today’s industrialized society has affected the gut microbiome. Spending most of the time indoors results in vitamin D deficiencies; people live in a chronic state of stress; and as people are not exposed to as many parasites they end up being more prone to conditions like autoimmune disease or chronic inflammation.

Dr. Mumper said the concept of oral tolerance is fundamental—teaching a baby’s immune system not to panic. She said it’s important for babies to get nutrient-dense foods and not have their immune system react so much to foods like peanuts, gluten, or casein. To get them used to nutritious foods instead of craving sweets, she suggests giving infants a little avocado and vegetables instead of rice cereal as their first solid food. Peanuts should be introduced in the first year of life in very small amounts so that babies are able to develop oral tolerance and not an allergic reaction. It’s helpful for babies to start having gluten when they’re still breastfeeding, which has been found to help prevent gluten allergies.

Dr. Mumper also suggests things like letting children dig in the dirt or, if raised on a farm, have them go out and feed the chickens. Studies show that kids who are raised this way are less likely to have allergies and asthma later on. Nutrient-dense diets rich in fresh whole foods help their innate immune system, which is the first line of defense, she says.