June 18, 2017
On Father’s Day, when you spend time thinking about all dad brings to the family, consider one more fact: paternal health is critical to having a healthy baby. As a society, we tend to see mom as the primary focus in the health of a developing fetus, especially when it comes to nutritional factors like vitamin D intake, but studies show that dad’s health plays a significant role, as well. Dad’s vitamin D status prior to conception may contribute to having a baby that develops into a strong and fit child. What You Should Know About Vitamin D Vitamin D,.... [Read More...]
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May 15, 2017
The world we live in literally thrives thanks to bacteria. Human beings must have carbon, nitrogen, the ability to fight off disease and digestion to survive – all things that rely on microorganisms. Besides recycling organic matter to create carbon and nitrogen, bacteria on the skin work as an army to keep out dangerous pathogens and, internally, they break food down into the nutritional units used to sustain major systems. What about babies, though? At what point do bacteria become a life-saving force for their little bodies? Does that happen at birth or are microbes essential for development, too? Ten.... [Read More...]
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March 20, 2017
Serious health problems are common in infants who suffer from low birth weight. Beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, may help these tiny patients. Now a new study sheds light on the benefits of probiotics on infants with very low birth weights. About 7.9 percent of babies were born at a low birth weight in 2012, and 1.42 percent were born at a very low birth weight (VLBW) of 3 pounds, 3 ounces or less. Infants born at low birth weight are more likely to experience serious health problems, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Babies who.... [Read More...]
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July 11, 2016
Vaginal seeding, a controversial new trend in childbirth, may help restore “good bacteria” in babies born by Caesarean section. Babies born vaginally have higher amounts of good bacteria which some scientists believe help protect babies from developing certain diseases when they grow older. Now some researchers are investigating methods to transfer a mother’s microbiota to her baby if it’s born by Caesarian. Caesarean section is now the most common operating room procedure in the United States, according to a February 2014 release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Doctors deliver nearly one-third of all babies by Caesarian,.... [Read More...]
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December 15, 2015
A few weeks ago, an exciting new study was published in Journal of the American Medical Association how infants at risk for Type 1 diabetes may benefit from early probiotics supplementation. The results are preliminary, but groundbreaking nevertheless. Type 1 diabetes, unlike type 2 diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that develops when the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This leaves the body without insufficient insulin to meet its needs. Insulin is a hormone that helps cells use sugar from foods as fuel. It’s unclear what triggers Type 1 diabetes, whether it’s genetic or environmental,.... [Read More...]
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May 25, 2015
You are surrounded by an ocean of bacteria. In fact, a host of diverse bacteria make their home inside your intestinal tract. Fortunately, many of these species of bacteria are “friendly”, meaning they provide health benefits to the host. What’s interesting is bacteria take up residence in the human gut very early in life, before a baby even enters the world. In fact, one of the baby’s first encounters with bacteria is when it passes through mom’s birth canal and becomes colonized with bacteria from her reproductive tract. The bacteria a baby is exposed to during passage through the birth.... [Read More...]
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April 20, 2015
Natren is pleased to announce the latest addition to its Life Start line of infant probiotics. Life Start Vegan is a unique dairy free probiotic powder for infants, toddlers, expectant and nursing mothers containing the vitally important strain of bacteria – Bifidobacterium infantis. Over the years, the health food industry has seen an increased demand for dairy free probiotics for sensitive infants and children. Supplementing with Natren’s Life Start Vegan provides infants with that first line of defense for their tiny, immature gastrointestinal tract, ensuring them with the best start to a long and healthy life. Natren has selected this unique.... [Read More...]
The post Introducing Natren Life Start Vegan Probiotic for Infants and Expectant Mothers appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
August 04, 2014
It’s no secret that breastfeeding provides a whole range of benefits for both the baby and mom. In honor of National Breastfeeding Month this month, we explore the link between breastfeeding and a baby’s digestive health and development. Through scientific research, we now understand that breastfeeding can have a tremendously positive impact on a baby’s digestive system – particularly if the mother is aware of how her diet and supplements affect the breast milk. In the early stages of life, babies are heavily dependent on their mother to populate their digestive system with beneficial bacteria to build healthy gut flora..... [Read More...]
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April 14, 2014
Our children today are born into an environment that is substantially different than nature has provided for centuries. We now live in a world where food is more sterile and often genetically altered, antibacterial products are everywhere, and infants are introduced to processed foods at an earlier age. All this takes an increasing toll on the fragile makeup of a newborn’s digestive system. Our digestive system is established in the very early years – in fact, by the time an infant reaches the age of two, the “microbiota” (the name given to the array of bacteria in the gut that.... [Read More...]
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