Mothers Transfer Good Bacteria From Gut to Babies Via Breast Milk

STUDY: Swiss researchers at Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH-Zurich, Switzerland state that good bacteria from the mother’s gut reach the babies’ digestive systems via breast milk. This study confirms that breast milk is best when it comes to early establishment of gut and immune health. This study helps in understanding how babies acquire a great number of good bacteria.

DETAILS:

A healthy community of bacteria in the gut of both mother and baby is really important for baby’s gut health and immune system development. The researchers discovered the exact strains of Bifidobacterium breve and several types of Clostridium bacteria, in the breast milk and maternal and/or neonatal feces. The researchers say the strains present in the breast milk help in setting nutritional balance in the baby’s gut and help in preventing intestinal disorder.

TAKEAWAY: If you have a baby, try Breast feeding till year 1 at least.

Source: Journal Environmental Microbiology