Baby can only reveal his feelings of anger, anxiety, and frustration by crying, which is hard-hitting for parents. A baby’s immune system is immature at birth and have limited resistance to infections1 That’s why babies are prone to bacterial infections and need to be protected against all those types of health demons. But do you know that baby’s poop also reveals a lot about their wellness and health condition. Yes, you heard it right. Poop is like a window into gut health.
Pediatricians often advise parents of a newborn to keep a track of their baby’s poop. Studies indicate that baby’s motions change their color and consistency during the first few days of life. It’s greenish to start with and gradually, it changes to light yellow in color. A healthy infant may occasionally pass stool of normal consistency at intervals of as long as 12 to 24 hours. 2,3
Nutrition during baby’s early days has a major impact on the gut health (gut refers to digestive system) of a baby. Hence, a baby should be put to breastmilk soon after his birth, as it’s the most optimal source of nutrition for them. Along with the nutrition, prebiotics (oligosaccharides) in breast milk helps in developing the gut health and immunity.4Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) are prebiotics from lactose (milk sugar) and chicory roots. 5
Benefits of prebiotics on stool characteristics may include:
- Softer stools 5
- Prevents hard stools
- Better stool frequency 5
So, prebiotics in an important ingredient for gut health. Healthy gut, Healthy Stool, Happy baby!4
References
1. Simon AK, Hollander GA, McMichael A. Evolution of the immune system in humans from infancy to old age. ProcBiolSci. 2015;282(1821):20143085. doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.3085
2. Den Hertog J, van Leengoed E, Kolk F, et al. The defecation pattern of healthy term infants up to the age of 3 months. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2012;97(6):F465-F470. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2011-300539
3. Solasaari T, Korpela K, Lommi S, et al. Bowel function in a prospective cohort of 1052 healthy term infants up to 4 months of age. Eur J Pediatr. 2024;183(8):3557-3565. doi:10.1007/s00431-024-05625-0
4. Okburan G, Kızıler S. Human milk oligosaccharides as prebiotics. Pediatrics & Neonatology. Published online January 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedneo.2022.09.017
5. Miqdady M, Al Mistarihi J, Azaz A, Rawat D. Prebiotics in the Infant Microbiome: The Past, Present, and Future. PediatrGastroenterolHepatolNutr. 2020;23(1):1-14. doi:10.5223/pghn.2020.23.1.1