Intestinal flora and the child's first 1000 days of life

During our first 1000 days of life, the brain, body and immune system grow and develop significantly and our growth is faster than at any other time in our lives. In our first nine months, we go from two cells to a newborn who measures approx. 50 cm in length and approx. 3 kg in weight. Between birth and three years of age, body size and weight double as much as five times.

The three development phases of the intestinal flora

With the help of so-called gene sequencing, when you analyze all the genes that occur in an organism (also bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.), the researchers have able to establish that the development of the intestinal flora takes place in three distinct phases:

• Development phase (3 to 14 months)
• Transition phase ( 15 to 30 months)
• Stable phase (31 to 46 months)

Microbial establishment

Intestinal flora is gradually established and developed in various stages during these 1 000 days. Diversity and composition of the intestinal flora is influenced by several factors.

• The mother's microbiome - Aims at the mother's bacterial flora in the vagina and intestine.
• Delivery method - Children who are born by caesarean section get bacteria from the mother's skin instead of the mother's vaginal flora and gut, which affects which families are established.
• If the child is breastfed or not - The breast milk reflects the mother's intestinal flora and also contains important substances for the microbial establishment in the child.
• The early diet - Just like in all other parts of life, it is important with a varied diet.

Bacterial diversity creates the right diversity

The first colonization of the intestine occurs during childbirth when the child comes into contact with the vaginal flora and the intestinal flora of the mother, which leads to the establishment of microbial diversity of different bacterial genera where the base is formed by Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

Instead, the intestinal flora of children born by caesarean section is first colonized by bacteria from the mother's skin, which makes it less varied and with fewer protective bifidobacteria than the intestinal flora of children born vaginally.

The protective breast milk

Breastfeeding is also very important for the development of a varied intestinal flora. Research shows that the bacterial composition in breast milk reflects the mother's intestinal flora and that the intestinal flora of breastfed children has better protection against gastrointestinal infections and allergies. 

Breast milk also contains a number of important substances that protect the newborn the child from infections and other diseases. Breast milk provides nourishment to the intestinal flora in the form of oligosaccharides, so-called HMO (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) which favors the establishment of protective bifidobacteria. 

Right bacteria are crucial

Right bacteria and microbial diversity in the gut flora are absolutely crucial for our health throughout life and a lack of these can create problems such as increased establishment of pathogens (disease-causing bacteria), microbial imbalance (dysbiosis), increased risk of functional disorders and increased risk of chronic diseases.