Laging nagkakasakit ang bata? Baka may poor gut health na yan

The key to avoiding sickness is having a strong immune system. But did you know that some kids, such as those born through cesarean section or those taking antibiotics, tend to have weaker immune system compared to other kids and would fall sick more often? This article will help you learn why they have weaker immunity,  how to boost immune system of these children and what type of specialized nutrients they need. 

Your Child’s Gut Health

Your child’s gut health plays a vital role in immunity and preventing illness. This is because 70-80% of the body’s immune cells are also found in the gut¹. 

Our gut also contains a large number of microorganisms. including many different varieties of good and bad bacteria. Good bacteria play an important role in various bodily functions, including the absorption of nutrients, and maintaining a strong immune system, thereby supporting the body’s immune response.

For kids to have strong immunity in the long term, they need to have a balance of good and bad bacteria in their gut. When there is an imbalance of these good and bad bacteria, dysbiosis or poor gut health is said to occur². 

Poor gut health in your kids

There are three main types of dysbiosis or poor gut health³: 

• When there is a loss of beneficial bacteria, which happens when children are given antibiotics. Antibiotics intended for killing bad bacteria also attack good bacteria, leading to poor gut health.
• When there is an increase in the number of harmful bacteria. 
• When there is a decrease in the variety of good bacteria in the gut, which is commonly found in those born via C-section. 

According to one study, children who experienced an increase of bad bacteria in the gut were more likely to experience bronchiolitis (Hasegawa et al., 2016)⁵. 

Another study found that kids with poor gut health had more episodes (3-7 episodes) of respiratory infections compared to others (0-2 episodes only) (Reyman et al., 2019)⁶

Some children are at higher risk of a weakened immune system due to dysbiosys as compared to others, making it crucial for parents to know how to boost their immune system.

Which Kids Are at Risk for Poor Gut Health?

C-section kids

Kids born through a cesarean section (C-section) have been found to have fewer types of good bacteria in their gut. This contributes to them having weaker immunity compared to those born vaginally. 

During vaginal birth, good bacteria from the mother’s gut and birth canal are passed on to the child. This contributes to a healthy and diverse gut microbiome and supports the immune system. In contrast, when a kid is born through a C-section, this early exposure “colonization” of the gut and the stimulation of the immune system does not happen⁸.

This effect on the c-section kids’ immune systems may last for years. A study looking at almost 500,000 women and their kids found that: 

1. C-section-born kids experienced more infections, eczema and metabolic disorders. 
2. They also experienced more respiratory infections compared to naturally born kids at up to 5 years old (Peters et al. 2018)¹⁷.

Not given breastmilk

One possible cause is if children have not been given breastmilk during the first 6 months of life. Breastmilk contains many essential nutrients that can help build a good gut microbiome, which further serves as a foundation for strong immunity.

Clinical studies show:

1. Those who were not breastfed from 0-6 months were 35% more likely to experience upper respiratory tract infections during the same period.
2. They were also 54% more likely to have lower respiratory tract infections during 7-12 months (Dujits et al, 2010)⁷ .

Kids taking antibiotics

Lastly, kids who are taking antibiotics may have gut problems since antibiotics attack both bad and good bacteria inside the digestive tract. This, in turn, can lead to poor gut health and weaker immunity. Weaker immunity raises the chances of further infections. Repeat infections will necessitate another round of antibiotics, which once again decreases the population of good bacteria⁹.

Weaker immunity –> more infection –> longer antibiotics dosage

So if your child was born via C-section or has ever taken antibiotics and falls sick more often than others, he may be at risk of having vulnerable immunity and need extra immune protection. 

How to Boost the Immune System of a Child with Poor Gut Health

The best way to support your child’s immune system is to give them breastmilk as early and as long as possible. Breastmilk provides complete nutrition for kids, especially in boosting immunity. For children with dysbiosis, breastmilk provides nutrients that helps rebuild the gut microbiome and build a strong immunity from day one, thanks to HMOs, probiotics, and nucleotides¹⁰.  

HMOs

HMOs, or human milk oligosaccharides, are the third most abundant nutrients found in breastmilk. These play an important role in development, especially strong immunity. HMOs act as prebiotics (food for good bacteria) that enable the growth of beneficial bacteria so kids have a diverse range of good bacteria in their gut. These components also aid in improving gut health, protect against infection, and are among the most effective nutrients when it comes to boosting immunity^{11, 12}.

HMOs have been added in some formula milk brands. For kids with vulnerable immunity, look for milk containing the highest level of 5HMOs.

Probiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria found in many sources of food, including human breastmilk. For mothers who use formula, it helps to choose one that contains Probiotic BB-12, the most studied probiotic in the world, which has been found to help with dysbiosis.

Probiotic BB-12 is a strain of beneficial bacteria found in the gut, as well as in breastmilk. A thriving population of probiotic BB-12 in the gut helps strengthen immunity, and reduces the risk of infection¹³.

Nucleotides

Nucleotides are the building blocks of our DNA¹⁴. Aside from this, studies have shown that nucleotides promote gut health and immunity by strengthening the gut’s barrier against disease-causing germs. They also help increase antibody production and response¹⁴. Increased antibody production not only helps a child fight off harmful bacteria, it also helps children who are already sick to recover more quickly.

For moms who use formula milk for their kid’s nutrition, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor about specific types of formula milk that contain all the right nutrients to boost immunity. 

These types of milk should contain high levels of 5HMOs, probiotic BB-12, and nucleotides, like in breastmilk, which aid in strengthening the immune system of children with vulnerable immunity.

Key Takeaways

1. Lagi bang nagkakasakit ang bata mo? Some children such as C-section born or children taking antibiotics, may have a weaker immune system compared to others. One reason for this is dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria in their gut biome. 
2. Breastmilk contains many nutrients essential to strengthening the gut biome and immune system. Because of this, it is recommended to breastfeed as early and for as long as possible.
3. But for mothers who are using formula milk, it is important to look for milk containing essential immunity nutrients, including appropriately high levels of HMOs, probiotics, and nucleotides found in breastmilk. These help rebuild immune system of children with weaker immunity.

[embed-health-tool-child-growth-chart]