Every time your baby smiles, points at something, or coos cutely, we bet you end up wondering what is going on in his brain. It is easy to be fascinated by the idea of the millions of connections his brain is making every nanosecond and wonder how that all translates into learning and knowledge for him.
Did you know that your baby’s gut, or what we sometimes call tummy, is an equally fascinating terrain?
We know that all mums are concerned about their babies’ gut health, but mainly only so far as to prevent “tummy troubles” such as colic, diarrhoea and constipation. However, mums, you need to know that your baby’s gut, which is the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth, stomach, small and large intestines to anus, needs your constant care and attention. The gut does much more than to digest and absorb nutrients for growth. It also helps protect your baby from infection and works with the brain to keep him happy. A healthy gut is, in fact crucial to your baby’s overall health and well-being.11
Click here to find out what are the signs of your baby’s healthy gut.
Meet your baby’s tummy soldiers a.k.a healthy gut microbiota
The gut is home to trillions of micro-organisms that are collectively called the gut microbiota. Scientists have discovered that a healthy gut microbiota with plenty of good bacteria helps the gut in many ways11,16. These ‘tummy soldiers’ help improve your little one’s total well-being by supporting the gut in its 3 hero missions: support brain and physical development through digestion, modulate mood and build natural defences.
Mission #1 Support brain and physical development
For optimum growth and development, your baby’s brain and body need the right nutrients, in the right amounts and at the right stage of growth.
The gut performs the complicated task of digesting the food consumed into basic components and ensuring that key nutrients such as DHA and ARA to support brain development, and vitamins & minerals to support physical growth are absorbed properly and are ready to be used by the body.
Your baby’s tummy soldiers support this process further by breaking down certain complex food that his stomach and small intestines have difficulties to do so. They also help in the production of essential vitamins like B and K to assist in the critical blood clotting process.
Click on the next page to find out what are the other 2 hero missions of your baby’s gut, and why a healthy gut is crucial for babies. Keep reading to find out how you can win in the Dumex Spot the Wonders Contest – Over $10, 000 worth of prizes, including staycation prizes and a $7,000 jackpot travel voucher, await the lucky winners!
This article is brought to you by Danone Dumex®. Danone Dumex® is part of Nutricia, #1 Baby Milk company in Europe^
Mission #2 Modulate mood for day-to-day well-being
Hunger makes us all cranky, and a filled stomach makes us calm – ever wonder why? This is because the gut has a big impact on mood.
With over 100 million neurons in the gut1, there is an ever present two-way communication taking place between it and the brain. While the gut sends the brain messages about the baby’s appetite, poor emotional health (messages from his brain) can lead to poor gut functioning.
Now imagine, if the tummy soldiers guarding this “second brain” were compromised by poor gut health, the signals being sent to the brain through the gut’s nerve connections would be all scrambled and could negatively impact the mood and overall well-being of your baby.
Also, did you know that 90% of our body’s serotonin – the “feel good” hormone that enables brain cells and nervous system cells to communicate with each other and helps your baby to feel comfortable and well and promotes better sleep – is produced in the gut8?
If your baby is comfortable and well-rested, it will positively impact his total well-being and enable him to be a happier baby.
Click here to find out if your baby has a healthy gut.
Mission #3 Help build natural defences against infections and manage allergies
Babies’ immune systems are immature compared to healthy adults, making them susceptible to the impact of harmful infection-causing bacteria.
However, a healthy gut and its tummy soldiers, can help keep these bad bacteria at bay. The gut is home to 70% of immune cells in the body4 and it’s no wonder a healthy gut is important for day-to-day natural defences. To support these immune cells at doing what they do best, the tummy soldiers help in two ways:
- Crowding out the germs: The healthy gut microbiota form a layer covering the wall of the gut, and this extra layer acts as a barrier against infection-causing germs by leaving no space on the gut wall for them to grow.
- Supporting the immune system: The healthy gut microbiota supports the development of immune system so that it will not react in a hyperactive manner against safe substances and thus help to manage allergies4,17.
So you need to ensure that these tummy soldiers are well-trained, well-nourished and ready to serve their 3 critical missions to support the overall health and well being of your baby.
How do you help build an army of good bacteria to ensure your baby’s good gut health? Click on the next page to find out. Don’t forget, over $10, 000 worth of prizes, including staycation prizes and a $7,000 jackpot travel voucher, await the lucky winners. dumex.com.sg/gut has all the information you’re looking for!
This article is brought to you by Danone Dumex®. Danone Dumex® is part of Nutricia, #1 Baby Milk company in Europe^
How to keep the tummy soldiers strong
Remember, a healthy gut builds the foundation of your child’s total well-being. It is therefore important to encourage the growth of friendly bacteria in your baby’s gut. The creation of a healthy gut microbiota is a complex process and takes place right from the moment of birth right through our life time.
As your child grows, a healthy and balanced diet also helps strengthen these tummy soldiers to maintain a healthy gut. In particular, prebiotics, which are non-digestible fibres found in our food such as fruits and whole grains, can help promote the growth and activity of good bacteria in your child’s gut. To put simply, they are the main source of food for our tummy soldiers. However, not all prebiotics are the same. So choose with care. Research has shown that a 9:1 GOS/IcFOS+ prebiotics blend promotes a healthy gut bacteria profile and supports the body’s natural defences10.
Get your baby’s gut off to a healthy start
Your baby’s gut is important, not just for digestion; but is central to his overall health/growth and well-being.
Mums and dads, are you taking steps to help nurture your children’s healthy guts for their total well-being? For a start, find out if your child has a healthy gut here.
Spot the Wonders Contest
More fascinating facts about gut health, and a chance to win in the Dumex Spot the Wonders Contest are just a click away. Visit dumex.com.sg/gut today! Over $10, 000 worth of prizes, including staycation prizes and a $7, 000 jackpot travel voucher, await the lucky winners!
This article is brought to you by Danone Dumex®.
Danone Dumex® is part of Nutricia, #1 Baby Milk company in Europe^
We have been focusing our scientific and clinical expertise on gut health for the last 40 years. Danone Dumex® is committed to supporting little guts by continuous improvement, to help maintain the overall health and well-being of babies.
^ Danone Nutricia ELN is the first Ranked Milk Formula manufacturer both in Sales Value and Sales Volume for these 9 countries(UK, DE, NL, IRL, PL, BEL, CZE/SLO and ROM) during the MAT period Dec 2015.
Click here for the scientific references on gut health.