The digestive tract is one of the most important organs for children during the first 1,000 days of life (HPK). This is because throughout the digestive tract system there are hundreds of trillions of microbiota (a collection of microorganisms) that affect the growth and development of your little one.
What are the roles of the microbiota? What do parents need to do to optimize the microbiota? Here are explanations from a number of experts.
Support Immunity and Intelligence
Microbiota plays an important role in supporting various body functions, from digestion, nutrient absorption, the immune system, to specifically improving brain performance. This is because there is a relationship between microbiota in the digestive tract and the central nervous system, which is called Gut-Brain Axis (GBA).
“A balanced digestive tract microbiota brings a number of benefits. When the microbiota is balanced, the child’s digestive system functions optimally, so they can avoid common digestive problems that often interfere with health and comfort such as constipation and diarrhea,” said pediatrician consultant Gastrohepatology, dr. Muzal Kadim, Sp.A(K).
Need Fiber as a Prebiotic
One effective way to achieve microbiota balance is to provide children with sufficient prebiotic intake and with the right ratio. “Prebiotics are substances that cannot be digested by the intestines and are the main food for good bacteria in the intestines,” added Dr. Muzal.
Prebiotics support the growth and activity of good bacteria in the intestines which can then provide health benefits for your little one, such as improving digestive health, increasing nutrient absorption, and supporting the immune system. Prebiotics are found in high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and tubers. In addition to natural foods, prebiotics can also be obtained from growth milk that is fortified with prebiotics.
Also read: Strengthening the Role of the Family to Overcome Anemia in Children
FOS and GOS Fiber Innovation
Given the important role of gut microbiota, through the W alertorld Microbiome Day, children’s milk brand from Danone Indonesia, Bebelac, invites parents to pay attention to the intake consumed by their little ones. Ideally, the intake also contains prebiotics that play a role in maintaining the balance of microbiota.
Danone Indonesia Medical & Scientific Affairs Director Dr. Ray Wagiu Basrowi explained that his party through Nutricia Research conducted research to develop products with clinically tested prebiotics, namely fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) with a ratio of 1:9. FOS and GOS are part of the types of dietary fiber. Based on research, the combination of the two, with this ratio, has been proven to act as a prebiotic that supports the development of good bacteria in the intestines.
Easy Ways to Check Children’s Digestion
Want to check your child’s digestive health? Try using Bebejourney technology which is equipped with features AI Poop Tracker. This feature is tools digital to detect and monitor children’s digestive conditions easily, simply by taking photos pup on your little one’s diaper. This feature can be accessed for free via bit.ly/bebeclub-BebeJourney.
“We hope tools This is a means for parents at home to enrich their understanding of children’s digestive health. Tools It has an accuracy of more than 95%, has been validated and recognized in international digestive health scientific forums such as The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, has also been published in the journal The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and Acta Paediatrica,” concluded dr. Ray. (B-1)
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