Nature vs Nurture
In our previous blog, Your Microbiome is as Unique as Your Fingerprint, we spoke about what the Gut Microbiome is, the individuality of your Gut Microbiome, and how it can affect your health.
So where does it all begin? Where do you get your own individualised species of microbiota that have such a profound impact on your lifelong health? What builds your gut microbiome?
Let’s dive in…
Your very first exposure to microbes…
It was previously thought that both the placenta and amniotic fluid (the liquid surrounding the foetus) are sterile. Recent research has shown strains of bacterial DNA and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), a metabolite of the gut microbiota, are present in utero. However, the evidence for this is still conflicting.
So where do we get our first exposure to the microbial world? Again, this is also being refuted. It was always believed that you are first colonised by microbes as you pass through your mother’s vaginal canal. Studies have shown distinct differences between the microbiome of newborns born vaginally, compared to those born by cesarean.
Why the conflicting evidence? A study published in March this year (2023) challenged the longstanding belief that a baby’s gut microbiome is primarily shaped by its mother’s vaginal microbiome. Scientists found that regardless of delivery, a mother’s vaginal microbiome does not predict the microbial composition of babies’ stool at 10 days or three months after birth.
A little too confusing hey...
Nature vs Nurture
Your baby’s biome continues to develop until about 3 years old. From there, it stabilizes and starts to resemble an adult microbiome. So what we do know, is that the first 3 years of your baby’s life are crucial in building your baby’s biome.
Things such as...
- Maternal influences like breastfeeding has a significant impact, as well as skin-to-skin contact
- Environmental exposures like air, pesticides, dirt, smoke...
- Diet, including in utero
- Human contact
- Early-life antibiotics use
- Pets
- Sleep Quality
- Hygiene practices
And interestingly, your baby’s emotional wellness can positively or negatively impact their microbiome…
No pressure huh?
Key Takeaways... Where to go from here?
The more early life exposure your baby has to a wide variety of microbes, from food... pets... people... the more diverse their microbiome is likely to be.
A more diverse microbiome is associated with less likelihood of allergies, autoimmunity, neurological conditions like Austism; anxiety; and depression, metabolic conditions like obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, and inflammatory bowel diseases, to name a few.
Interested in building yours or your babies biome?
Book a Complete Microbiome Mapping consultation with me, to assess your microbiome using science-backed, at-home testing kits. We will review your full microbrial profile, including species, inflammation, digestive function, and create a personalised nutrition plan suited uniquely to you.
References:
The Not-so-Sterile Womb: Evidence That the Human Fetus Is Exposed to Bacteria Prior to Birth