Infant Gut Microbiome Testing Is The Future
Recent research is finding that a baby’s first year of life is a critical time period to develop a healthy microbiome. Newborn to age 3 is crucial for microbiota diversification — by age 3, a child’s gut is comparable to an adult’s gut.
What’s a “Microbiome”?
The human microbiome is the genetic material of all microbiota (organisms, including bacteria) that live on and inside the body. The vast majority of microbiota live in the large intestine. From their immune system to their to brain development, baby’s microbiome influences nearly every part of their body!
What influences baby’s microbiome?
Bacterial exposure, or lack of, largely influences a baby’s microbiome. Mode of delivery at birth, feeding methods, antibiotic usage, and solid food introduction are key players in bacterial exposure for a baby. Check out our previous article “Baby’s Gut Health”, it goes into much more detail about this topic!
How our Microbiome Test works
Curious about purchasing a microbiome test kit for your baby? We’ll give you the rundown on how it works:
Once you’ve purchased your first microbiome test kit, we’ll send you all the supplies you’ll need. After baby’s next bowel movement, collect a small sample of their stool from the diaper. We’ll provide you with a mini “pooper scooper” tool to collect it and transfer it to the test tube. Drop the sample in the tube, and double check that you’ve sealed it tight. Then shake it up to liquidize and mix up the contents.
Seal the test tube in the pre-prepped envelope we provide you with, and drop it off at the post office. Now you’ve done your part — we’ll take it from here!
Your test tube will be sent to our lab, where our scientists will run your baby’s sample to determine a. which bacteria are present in their gut, and b. how much of it is present. Our lab’s findings will be included in the report we send you.
Your report will also will also include information from our registered dietitians! Our dietitians will review your baby’s results and provide personalized advice for improving your baby’s gut health. They will also help you determine if your baby’s bacterial diversity is healthy for their age. Keep an eye on your email — we’ll be sharing your results with you there!
There’s more where that came from…
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About the Author
Dana Schechner is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Lactation Counselor who is passionate about sharing credible, science-backed information. Dana is a true foodie!
