After they are born, babies quickly need to create a balanced microbiota. The good gut bacteria are an important part of the human immune system and offer life-long protection for the baby from disease-causing pathogens. The first solid foods play a vital role here.
In the womb, babies hardly every come into contact with pathogenic bacteria or viruses. As a result, our little ones still have weak natural defences and the immune system has to develop quickly after birth. Mothers provide an excellent start, providing their babies with their first strains of bacteria through the placenta while they are still in the womb. These become important for creating and developing the microbiota.
For natural births, babies pick up a further 900 types of bacteria in the mother’s birth canal. Here, they pass vertically from mother to child and provide a protective shield around the infant. It is then important to increase the number of health-promoting bacteria as quickly as possible. In adults, a healthy microbiota comprises around 400 different strains of bacteria, which includes approximately 30,000 to 50,000 different types.
Prebiotics – an important ingredient in infant nutrition
Ideally, babies receive prebiotics in breast milk and these promote the growth of intestine-friendly strains of bacteria. But what happens when a baby can't be breast fed? In this case, it is recommended that the child is given infant or follow-on formula enriched with specific prebiotics, like those produced by HOCHDORF. This should alleviate any parental concerns. The baby and its tiny health workers can also benefit from good nutrition with infant formula.
Our infant formula only contains easily digestible galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which rarely lead to wind in babies. GOS are prebiotics which occur in a similar form in mother's milk and display the same positive characteristics. This includes, e.g., promoting growth of GI-tract enhancing bacteria and the development of the immune system.
Infant formula can promote the growth of bacteria
Some studies have shown that infant or follow-on formula enriched with galacto-oligosaccharides promote the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
Breast milk is undisputedly the healthiest option for babies. But not all mothers are able or willing to breast feed. At HOCHDORF, we do our best to ensure that our infant formula comes as close as possible to breast milk.
