Study Finds Probiotic Use in Mothers Limits Eczema in their Babies

Eczema is a common term which includes a variety of different skin conditions.  Lots of kids develop some form of eczema in early childhood yet many will eventually outgrow the condition.  Eczema in infants is typically dry, itchy skin which can develop anywhere on their bodies.  Typically, eczema is treatable but nonetheless pretty uncomfortable for a baby.  What if mothers could help prevent it from even ocurring? A new study reveals expecting mums may be able to parlay the condition before a baby is even born. 

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that mums who drank milk containing a probiotic supplement were able to cut the occurrence of eczema in their babies by half.  Following 415 pregnant women and their children until 2 years of age, researchers gave half of the women a probiotic boosted milk and the other half of the mothers a placebo- all unbeknownst to the mums as this was a double-blind study.

The women were given a glass of milk daily starting a 36 weeks until 3 months after birth.  The probiotic packed milk reduced the rate of eczema by 40%.  In addition, the probiotic packed babies who did have eczema had less severe cases than their non supplemented counterparts. 

Since the mothers in the study were delivered non-marked cartons of milk, researchers are leaving this study pretty convinced it was the probiotics alone that reduced the rate of eczema.  Previous studies have found that giving kids probiotics can help reduce eczema but this is the first study to show that mums can help prevent it.  Researchers also did a follow-up on the babies in the study to see if the probiotics had any effect on the incidence of asthma and allergies, only to find they did not.

What this Means for Mums

Yogurt loving mums rejoice! There are good amount of probiotics naturally occurring in cultured foods like yogurt and Kefir- just make sure the label says “contains active cultures”.  Probiotics are dubbed the ‘good bacteria’ as they already exist in the digestive tract aiding in digestion and absorption of nutrients.  Recent research has found that probiotics can also aid in regulating bowel movements, prevention/treatment of yeast and bladder infections, and prevention or reduction in the severity of colds- all troublesome things women typically encounter during pregnancy. Probiotic supplements are available, just be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements during pregnancy.

Babies Having Soda and Cakes? Yes, according to new Australian research

So you have your newborn baby at her first outing to a birthday party, should you offer her a bit of your cake, or perhaps a sip of your soda?  Of course not, but if you think that nobody ever does that sort of thing anymore – think again.  A recent study found that an alarming number of babies have tried a variety sugar filled treats even before 2 months of age.

Renowned experts and ‘go to’ resources for maternal and infant health across the globe can agree on at least one universal recommendation: babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life.  Despite the global increase in advocacy for both breastfeeding rates and duration, it was made clear from this new study that there is a long way to go to improve our babies’ diets.

Published in Nutrition and Dietetics, the study revealed that some 4-week old babies had already been introduced to high salt, sugar, and fat foods.  Lead researcher Jane Scott explains:  “Almost one in four mothers had introduced fruit juice, biscuits and cakes to their infants by six months of age. This is a worry because eating habits developed early in life usually continue throughout a person’s lifetime — and an overweight child is much more likely to become an overweight adult.”

Scott and colleagues tracked 587 women from two Perth maternity hospitals for 12 months after birth via phone interviews as a means to understand how these new babies were being fed by their mums.  The information gathered also provided further evidence to delay introduction of solid foods to 6 months; as babies who were started early on solids or had 2 or more siblings had an increased chance of consuming salty, high fat, and sugary foods by their first birthday.

What this Means for Mums

Yes, we are just as shocked as you are but knowledge is power so this is an important topic to discuss.  Mum Mum’s reported just a few short months ago that many baby and toddler snack foods on the market were laden with fat and sugar; again encouraging babies to develop a ‘taste’ for salty or sweet foods.  Whether or not you chose to wait until your baby is 5-6 months old to introduce solids is up to you, but it is most important to start with natural foods like fruits and vegetables.  Babies, not even young children, do not need sweets, sodas, or snack type foods.  In fact, during the first year of life breast milk or formula provides all the nutrition your baby needs.  If you are unsure about how to feed your baby, please seek the assistance of a physician or a registered dietitian.

Babies Having Soda and Cakes? Yes, according to new Australian research

So you have your newborn baby at her first outing to a birthday party, should you offer her a bit of your cake, or perhaps a sip of your soda?  Of course not, but if you think that nobody ever does that sort of thing anymore – think again.  A recent study found that an alarming number of babies have tried a variety sugar filled treats even before 2 months of age.

Renowned experts and ‘go to’ resources for maternal and infant health across the globe can agree on at least one universal recommendation: babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life.  Despite the global increase in advocacy for both breastfeeding rates and duration, it was made clear from this new study that there is a long way to go to improve our babies’ diets.

Published in Nutrition and Dietetics, the study revealed that some 4-week old babies had already been introduced to high salt, sugar, and fat foods.  Lead researcher Jane Scott explains:  “Almost one in four mothers had introduced fruit juice, biscuits and cakes to their infants by six months of age. This is a worry because eating habits developed early in life usually continue throughout a person’s lifetime — and an overweight child is much more likely to become an overweight adult.”

Scott and colleagues tracked 587 women from two Perth maternity hospitals for 12 months after birth via phone interviews as a means to understand how these new babies were being fed by their mums.  The information gathered also provided further evidence to delay introduction of solid foods to 6 months; as babies who were started early on solids or had 2 or more siblings had an increased chance of consuming salty, high fat, and sugary foods by their first birthday.

What this Means for Mums

Yes, we are just as shocked as you are but knowledge is power so this is an important topic to discuss.  Mum Mum’s reported just a few short months ago that many baby and toddler snack foods on the market were laden with fat and sugar; again encouraging babies to develop a ‘taste’ for salty or sweet foods.  Whether or not you chose to wait until your baby is 5-6 months old to introduce solids is up to you, but it is most important to start with natural foods like fruits and vegetables.  Babies, not even young children, do not need sweets, sodas, or snack type foods.  In fact, during the first year of life breast milk or formula provides all the nutrition your baby needs.  If you are unsure about how to feed your baby, please seek the assistance of a physician or a registered dietitian.

Tags: baby food, breastfeeding, toddler snacks

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 at 2:37 am and is filed under Baby Feeding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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