Babies are especially at risk because of their developing bodies and nervous systems.
Four commonly overlooked infant dangers are:
1. Poor gut health
2. Flame retardant chemicals
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3. Insufficient vitamin D3
4. Exposure to genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
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Poor Gut Health
Research has demonstrated that microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract form an intricate, living fabric of natural controls. The gut is void of bacteria before birth, but when we are adults we have about 100 trillion bacteria in our gut, weighing 2-3 pounds!
A Norwegian study published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology found that the types of bacteria present in an infant’s digestive system influences the child’s growth.
Understanding how infants’ gut bacteria develops over time is important in order to devise strategies to change it for the better, which will benefit children’s long term health. Research is being done in order to determine the impact of different gut bacteria on adult health and disease through the American Gut Project.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's research shows that there is a profound dynamic interaction between your gut, your brain, and your immune system, starting from birth. She has developed treatment strategies for a wide range of neurological, psychological, and autoimmune disorders, which are heavily influenced by your gut health.
Bacteria start populating the gut during vaginal birth. It's important to understand that the gut flora a child acquires is dependent on the mother's gut flora. If the mother's microflora is abnormal, the child's will be abnormal as well.
Breastfed babies develop entirely different gut flora compared to bottle-fed babies. Infant formula never has been a healthy replacement for breast milk.
Maintaining optimal gut flora by eating fermented foods and taking probiotics is particularly important if you’re planning to become pregnant.
Infant growth is just one of many aspects affected by the composition of bacteria in your body. Another recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that parents who clean off their child’s pacifier by sucking on it may be inadvertently reducing their child's risk of developing allergies. This appears to be a side effect of the parent’s oral bacteria affecting their child’s gut bacteria.
Flame Retardant Chemicals
Research findings suggest that children exposed to the flame retardant chemicals polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in utero and after birth, are at increased risk for hyperactivity and lower IQ. PBDEs have been in use for decades in items such as carpeting, upholstery, mattresses, baby strollers and electronics.
Animal tests have shown that these flame retardant chemicals disrupt the endocrine system and because their chemical structure resembles thyroid hormone, they may affect thyroid function. In children, thyroid hormone is important for proper growth and development, especially brain development.
The researchers measured PBDE levels in the blood of 309 pregnant women, and their children were later evaluated through intelligence and behavior tests once a year until the age of five. They discovered that PBDE exposure in the womb was associated with hyperactivity between the ages of two and five and with lower IQ scores at age five.
Insufficient Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is significantly insufficient for most people, including young children and infants. Vitamin D3 insufficiency has been associated with higher incidences of cancer, asthma, cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease. A major problem can also be rickets (soft, weakened bones). Premature babies are at particularly high risk. At present, recommendations on how much daily vitamin D3 premature babies should receive, range from 400-1,000 IU’s.
GMO Exposure
Despite the complete lack of long term safety studies, most infant formulas can contain GMO ingredients, without even being labeled as ingredients. GMOs have been linked to cancer, mutations, birth defects and allergies. Common GMO crops in formula include corn, soy and sugar. It has been hypothesized that the extreme increase of the incidence of childhood allergies in recent years, has a direct connection to exposure to GMOs.
GMOInside.org has launched a campaign urging infant formula makers to phase out all GMOs from their infant formulas. The companies targeted are:
Abbott Laboratories, maker of Similac
Mead Johnson Nutrition, maker of Enfamil
Nestlé, maker of Gerber Good Start
These companies all spent money to vote down GMO labeling in California last year, thus obstructing a parent’s right to know whether or not the first food they are feeding their newborns contains GMOs.
According to pediatrician Michelle Perro, infant livers do not reach maturity for about two years and therefore are less equipped to process toxins in the body, such as the pesticides used on genetically modified foods.
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