Infant Gut Colonization and Future Health Implications

By Integrative Practitioner Staff

Infant gut colonization is influenced by a number of different factors including breastfeeding, cesarean delivery and antibiotic use. The infant gut has been shown to be particularly susceptible to alterations of the resident microbiota. Changes in this developing microbiome contribute not only to the development of the infant’s immune system, intestinal homeostasis and overall metabolism, but can also help to explain future health conditions. In fact, the early disruption of the gut microbiota has been associated with a growing number of diseases later in life including atopy, asthma, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity, and others.

To learn more about the role of the gut microbiota in human health and disease, stream the recorded 2016 Integrative Healthcare Symposium presentation: Role of the Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease: The Gut Balance Revolution