How To Heal Newborn Gut After Antibiotics

Statistical Analysis: Model Type Selection And Model Training

How to Heal Your Gut After Antibiotics!

All statistical analyses were performed in R version 3.6.1 . MetaPhlAn2, Metaxa2, and HUMAnN2 annotation ARG and MGE mapping results taxonomy and metadata files were compiled into individual data objects in phyloseq version 1.28.0 . All custom R codes are available from . All figures were plotted with ggplot2 version 3.1.1 . The flow of the statistical analysis pipeline is outlined in .

An RF analysis was performed using the caret package version 6.084 with training control using the trainControl command with the option method cv and model fitting with train command with the option method rf, and the importance of the variable was computed using the varImp command . All variables in the metadata were used in the RF ANOVA importance to model the outcome variable relative abundance of ARGs normalized by gene lengths and 16S rRNA gene counts. Weight, which correlated with both age of the infant and gestational age, and the type of maternal antibiotics, where inadequate numbers of mothers received the same antibiotic, were omitted from the analysis.

Strengthen Your Intestinal Barrier With Collagen

If youve been seeing the rise in discussion of bone broths and their benefits, its because they are very particularly rich sources of collagen, amino acids, and gelatin, which have been proven to heal and soothe the gut lining. Including Gut Garden’s Collagen Peptides in your diet can work to heal leaky gut by sealing the lining, and stopping food particles from leaching through the gut walls small junction openings, thereby lessening inflammation and allergic responses to foods.

How Long Does It Take To Repopulate The Gut With Good Bacteria

Theres no simple answer to this question because it depends on the state of your microbiome, the quality of your diet, any medication you take, your level of exercise and more. However, the gut microbiome is very adaptable and responds to positive lifestyle choices.

So if you eat a diet with lots of fiber-rich whole foods and add some probiotic foods or supplements, you can speed up your gut biome restoration. Plus, getting regular exercise, especially cardio, is associated with higher diversity in your gut.

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Antibiotics And Gut Health: What Goes Wrong

Antibiotics have one job: kill bacteria and stop them from multiplying. However, this simple task is what leads to a disruption in your gut microbiome.

Antibiotics cannot tell the difference between good bacteria and bad bacteria. Their job is to simply go to your gut and kill bacteria. They dont discriminate between the good and bad.

When antibiotics enter your system and kill off bacteria seemingly at random, your balance of good and bad bacteria can be thrown out of wack. This is a major issue as the good bacteria in your system play a vital role in protecting you from issues such as SIBO or Candida overgrowth. As the number of good bacteria in your gut decreases, you become susceptible to overgrowths of other organisms, including a yeast called Candida.

While a small amount of yeast is normal and necessary, Candida is opportunistic. If given the chance, such as antibiotic usage killing off protective good bacteria, it will grow and multiply quickly especially when its fed sugar, carbohydrates, or alcohol. When yeast starts to multiply, it can damage the lining of your intestinal walls. This leads to increased intestinal permeability and whats known as leaky gut.

Your Guts Thriving Ecosystem

Heal Your Gut After Antibiotics » AudreyChristie.com

Your gut microbiome is its own ecosystem, a biological community of interacting organisms that live in harmony with one another. I like to think of the gut microbiome as a rainforest with many different species living together. When one species gets out of balance in the rainforest, everything gets out of control. When the balance gets disrupted, the good or beneficial plants begin to die and the bad ones start to take over.

Your gut microbiome works the same way. Its home to 100 trillion microorganisms, including at least 400 different species of bacteria. These microbes in your gut play crucial roles in digestion, immunity, metabolism, and mood. Ideally, all these microbes live in a balanced state. However, when the balance is thrown off, and the bad bacteria begins to over take the good bacteria it can keep all of your systems from working optimally.

Too few or too many microorganisms can cause an array of issues in your gut such as leaky gut, SIBO, or Candida overgrowth, which are precursors to autoimmune disease among other troubling issues and uncomfortable symptoms. Ill talk more about these later.

Whats more, 60% to 80% of your immune system is located in your gut, along with 90% of the neurotransmitters that help regulate your mood. Even just one cycle of antibiotics can throw off the microbiome balance in your gut. Dont worry. The empowering part is that all of this is in YOUR control. Lets talk about how antibiotics can disrupt your guts ecosystem.

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How Antibiotics Affect The Gut

While antibiotics have vital health benefits in certain situations, they also alter the microbiome and can change the gut even after a single dose.

Not only do antibiotics suppress bacterial infections, they can also cause an immediate decline in beneficial bacterial strains like lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. In some cases, they can also cause a rise in clostridium, a harmful type of bacteria that lives in the gut.

Most antibiotics can also cause long-term changes to the bacterial landscape of the gut. While the gut may return to normal on its own without assistance, in many cases, it can take an average of four weeks after a single dose of antibiotics for the gut to begin this process. If more doses are used, or frequent antibiotics are taken, the gut can experience permanent changes unless interventions are used.

The potential even exists for antibiotics to change the gut so that bacterial groups remain altered for two or more years, including the addition of resistant strains to the gut, which can be problematic for future health. Antibiotics can cause damage in mitochondria the energy-producing powerhouses of cells.

Beyond just the gut, antibiotics can also cause damage in mitochondria the energy-producing powerhouses of cells. Without healthy mitochondria, its possible for your whole body to feel run down and short on energy.

During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding

During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, it’s important for the mother to have a balanced diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein sources to ensure baby gets their share of key nutrients to support their healthy growth and development. Also. part of a healthy diet probiotic foods , and prebiotic foods are particularly important to support a healthy gut and healthy gut bacteria.

Mothers can also consider taking probiotic supplements during pregnancy such as Inner Health Pregnancy and Breastfeeding to support their balance of healthy gut bacteria and the benefit this has to their developing baby.

Where possible, breastfeeding can be supportive for sharing immunity and nutrients to your baby due to its probiotic and nutrient balance. Breast milk whilst containing beneficial bacteria also contains oligosaccharides – carbohydrates that help to stimulate the development of healthy bacteria in an infants gut. Skin to skin contact in the early hours after delivery can also benefit milk production and support the development of healthy gut bacteria balance in the infant.

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Study Design And Study Population

This was a prospective controlled cohort study among term, vaginally delivered infants followed from birth until the age of six months. We recruited the study participants in the Department of Women and Children in Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland from February 2014 to June 2015. Oulu University Hospital serves as the only delivery hospital in the area, with approximately 4,000 births annually. The Regional Ethics Committee of the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, reviewed and approved the study plan. All experiments were performed according with relevant regulations and guidelines. We enrolled only newborn infants whose parents gave written informed consent.

Effect Of 3 Months Of Exclusive Breastfeeding

How to Recover Gut After Antibiotics – Without Supplements

As is found in other studies, infants born vaginally, breast fed and not exposed to antibiotics had a microbiome composed mostly of the family Actinobacteria and decreased levels of the family Firmicutes, such as the genera Clostridium and Enterococcus. The greatest effect for breastfeeding was seen with C-section delivered babies. At 3 months old, C-section infants that were breastfed, had a lower relative abundance of Firmicutes than those not breastfed. At one year, only babies born via emergency C-sections and not exclusively breastfed for 3 months, had higher Firmicutes levels. All other birth and feeding types had similar Firmicute/Bacteroidetes levels. The extensive microbiome disturbance in emergency C-section babies may be due to several doses of antibiotics being given. Additionally, antibiotics may have been present in the mothers breast milk. While exclusive breastfeeding did restore the Firmicute/Bacteroidetes levels in elective and emergency c-sections. However, the microbiome community had higher levels of Verrucomicrobia, especially in elective C-section babies receiving antibiotics and breastfed. High levels of Verrucomicrobia also have been seen in adult gut microbiomes after receiving antibiotics .

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Why Is It Important To Support Your Childs Gut Microbiome

Recent research has found that an alteration to the balance of healthy gut bacteria during infancy can have a negative effect on their immune health into adulthood meaning that disordered gut health early in life, can have lifelong ramifications.

Further studies into the area support this idea that healthy gut bacteria is essential in babies and young children to reduce the risk of developing atopic conditions such as asthma and eczema, digestive symptoms such as colic, and even in the eventuality of lifestyle related conditions in adulthood, such as obesity.

Make Sure Your Children Eat Real Food

Your children dont need a concoction of additives, preservatives, trans fats and other fake foods and do your best to provide a whole food diet for the whole family. Limit the amount of packaged food they eat and focus on a balanced diet of foods which include actual salt, saturated fats, protein, well prepared grains, and a variety of vegetables. Limit their consumption of sugar and simple carbs, as bad bacteria in the gut tend to thrive on these foods. Here are some more tips to build your baby’s microbiome through diet.

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What Probiotics For Antibiotic Side Effects

Typically, it will take the body time to balance the microbiome to healthy, diverse bacteria levels. In fact, research shows that it takes about 6 months to recover from the damage done by antibiotics. And even then, the body might not even be back to its pre-antibiotic state.

Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast is particularly good at preventing and alleviating antibiotic-associated diarrhea and travellers diarrhea. Its also a friend to your gut bacteria that supports good bacteria and prevents inflammation.

Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic bacterium best known for being in yoghurt is also great for your gut. Studies show that its good at treating and preventing infections, and reducing the digestive side effects of antibiotics.

Other bacteria that help recover from antibiotic use include:

Antibiotics After Birth Affects Gut Microbes Of Babies Study Finds

How to Heal Your Gut After Antibiotics

Edinburgh: Treating babies with antibiotics in the first week of life is linked with a decrease in healthy bacteria necessary amongst others to digest milk and an increase in antimicrobial resistance, a new study by The University of Edinburgh researchers suggested.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Experts say that clinicians should consider using antibiotics in a way that causes the least harm to the newborns microbiome the community of microbes that live in our body.

Under current guidelines, antibiotics directed at a wide range of bacteria known as broad-spectrum are currently prescribed to four to 10 per cent of all newborns for suspected infections.

However, experts say that in most cases the antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily as only a small proportion of those who receive the drugs are eventually diagnosed with an infection.

This overprescription is to ensure early treatment for those who are ultimately found to have an infection as any delay may quickly become life-threatening.

Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Birmingham, and the Spaarne Hospital and University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands, conducted a clinical trial involving 227 babies to analyse how antibiotics affect a newborns microbiome.

These microbes aids in the digestion of human breast milk and promotes gut health, while also supporting the immune defence against infection.

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Recovery Of The Gut Microbiome

After an antibiotic course, recovery of the gut microbiome can take some time. In general, after short-term antibiotic use , studies have observed it can take at least one to two months for most bacterial groups to recover to pre-antibiotic levels2,3,1316. However, these studies have also shown that even after two to four years, some bacterial groups do not recover completely and antibacterial resistance genes can also persist at increased levels for at least one to two years following antibiotic use13,14,16,17. Therefore, even a short course of antibiotics can have long-term effects on the gut microbiome.

Aim To Breastfeed Which Transfers Good Bacteria From Mother To Infant

Breastfeeding is an excellent way to stimulate gut development in infants. Human breast milk has its own complex microbiome with prebiotic and probiotic properties. Because of the live cultures formed in breast milk, microbes from the milk transfer bacteria from the mother to the infant. Breastfeeding also helps the infant microbiome indirectly by transferring nutrients important for further bacterial growth, such as oligosaccharides and antibodies.

A third of the carbohydrates in breast milk aren’t even digestible by the human part of the body, Katz tells Motherly. They’re literally just food for the child’s growing microbiome.

Breast milk carries long-term health benefits for the infant microbiome. A 2020 study found that giving breast milk to babies born prematurely improved their microbiome and was associated with improved neurodevelopment and a reduced risk for inflammatory diseases.

Related: Its science: Breast milk fights against bad bacteria

While not yet proven, there is some early research suggesting that breast milk contains tools that strengthen the gut barrier and, in turn, prevent allergies.

Babies who were delivered via C-section may have a disrupted gut development because they are not exposed to the bacteria from the vaginal microbiome. However, research shows that breastfeeding helps to partially restore the microbiome from infants born via C-section. When breastfed, babies born via C-section had a lower risk of infection and a decrease in diarrhea.

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Most Common Things That Compromise A Mother And Her Babys Microbiome During Pregnancy Birth And Infancy:

  • Antibiotic exposure at any time prior to or during pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, or direct to infant.
  • Exposure to stress, environmental toxins, and a poor diet .
  • Birth Interventions: C-section, GBS positive, synthetic oxytocin induction or epidural can reduce exposure to the good birth canal and mum microbes AND in-turn result in exposure to antibiotics and abnormal hospital pathogens.
  • Lack of breastmilk, and exposure to Formula: Antibiotics and the cascade of intervention is associated with breastfeeding complications and an increased likelihood of formula use within the first 6 months of the recommended exclusive breastfeeding period. Antibiotics also increase the likelihood of suffering mastitis by 25 times, and mastitis is a common reason for mums to stop breastfeeding.

The Roles Of The Microbiome

7 Signs Of Unhealthy Gut And How To Improve Gut Health?

Sharing our world with our family of microbes benefits us both. We need them to survive, and many of them need us to survive as well. Its a perfect partnershipmost of the timeand one thats survived for millennia.

Were still learning about how beneficial this relationship is for our health, but we know a healthy microbiome helps you with digesting food, regulating your immune system, protecting against disease-causing bacteria, and producing important vitamins.

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Arg And Mge Count Normalization

The Bowtie2 counts for ARGs and MGEs were normalized to the length of each respective gene. Normalized gene counts were then further normalized to the number of bacterial 16S rRNA gene reads obtained from Metaxa2 output, divided by the 16S rRNA gene’s length . These normalization steps yield an approximation for the number of genes per 16S rRNA sequence for each resistance gene while avoiding bias due to the differential length of the resistance genes. We chose the 16S rRNA gene for normalization instead of library size to account for variation in nonbacterial DNA content in the samples, as explained in Bengtsson-Palme et al. . The 16S rRNA gene normalization allows us to approximate the number of resistance genes carried by bacteria, presuming that the copy number of 16S rRNA genes is similar in studied bacterial populations. The 16S rRNA gene-normalized values were used in all downstream analyses. However, we also compared unnormalized data and library size normalized data to validate our choice of normalization, and these yielded similar results to 16S rRNA normalized values .

At What Stage Of Your Life You Take Them

Our first years seem to be crucial for setting up a healthy microbiome for life. One study found an association between antibiotics given in the first year of life and later neurocognitive difficulties, such as ADHD, depression and anxiety , and others have found that the more courses of antibiotics a person receives during childhood, the higher their risk of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease .

Others have linked antibiotic exposure in the womb and early childhood to the development of asthma later in life and obesity in children as well adults .

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