A good bacterica is needed in a baby’s organs to develop healthy immune system. “A vaginal birth and breastfeeding play a crucial role,” says Professor Yvan Vanden Plas. “But there is not enough attention.”
Can we use microbes to give children a better start? Doctors and researchers in Ghent are questioning about this matter. The importance of bacteria at the beginning of life is often being underestimated, says Yvan Vanden Plas, head of pediatrics at UZ Brussel and President of the Congress.
“Breast milk are naturally good bacteria. They contain oligosaccharides, which are substances that do flourish the appropriate bacteria in the large intestine (which we call a prebiotic effect). Such substances are not in cow’s milk. “