Report points to solutions for key parental concerns in infants
Researchers publishing today in the peer-reviewed science journal Beneficial Microbes reported that three common infant health issues associated with Newborn Gut Deficiency – diaper rash, colic and sleep problems – were substantially reduced or eliminated altogether within days of introducing a key beneficial gut bacterium that is missing in more than 90% of all babies in the U.S.
Researchers at Evolve BioSystems gathered observations from parents who purchased and recently fed to their infant a commercially available gut probiotic comprised of activated Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis) EVC001. B infantis has been identified as the key gut bacterium for gut health and immune system support.
"As much as 65% of infants experience diaper rash; colic is reported to affect between 17-25% of infants; and sleep problems affect one in three infants. These are common concerns for millions of parents," said Tracy Shafizadeh, Ph.D., nutritional scientist and study author. "Emerging evidence strongly suggests a role for gut bacteria underlying these issues; this study finds that parents observed real relief from activated B. infantis EVC001, the key gut bacterium that is widely deficient in the U.S. infant population."
Seventy-two percent of parents with infants who had diaper rash reported improvements, nearly all within two weeks and complete resolution of the symptoms in 57% of the cases. Sixty-three percent of parents with infants experiencing gassiness and fussiness, classic symptoms of colic, saw improvements in colic symptoms within the first week. A full 87% of parents with infants who experienced night-time sleep issues saw improvements in duration or consistency within two weeks.
Researchers invited more than 15,000 consumers who had purchased activated B. infantis EVC001 (known commercially as Evivo®) within the previous 30 days to participate in the study by submitting responses to an online survey. The survey asked parents to report observations of symptom presence or reduction following feeding their babies activated B. infantis EVC001. A total of 1,621 questionnaires were completed; data collection was carried out over 18 months.
"Over the past 20 years, I have seen so many babies in my practice suffering from colic, diaper rash, and struggling with inconsistent sleep, all classic signs pointing to the underlying problem of Newborn Gut Deficiency," said Dr. Tanya Altmann, pediatrician and co-author of the study. "What we see with this study is observable improvements in these issues with the supplementation of critical good gut bacteria, activated B. infantis; improvement that we can put into practice today to help babies, and their parents, restore a heathy balance to the gut microbiome and better quality of life."
Recent research has reported that more than 90% of infants suffer from Newborn Gut Deficiency (NGD).i The deficiency is marked by a severe or total lack of the critical bacterium in the infant gut, B. infantis, and is a hidden problem in the United States today.
Only activated B. infantis EVC001 has been shown to reverse Newborn Gut Deficiency. This key bacterium creates a protective environment in the infant gut through the use of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Activated B. infantis EVC001 reduces the pH in the infant gut microbiome to create an environment where potentially pathogenic bacteria cannot survive, reducing intestinal inflammation, and ensuring the proper development of the immune system.
