Casablanca – A recent study from the American University of Colorado Boulder has found that breastfeeding is the best way to reduce air pollution’s health impacts on babies, especially during their first six months of life.
The study’s main goal was to demonstrate a relationship between breathed pollutants and changes in babies’ microbial health during their first developmental period, said its authors.
According to the American study, breastfeeding newborns can help in reducing the risk of air pollution exposure affecting their inner world of gut bacteria or microbiome, which is the microorganisms that live in the digestive system of organisms.
The research confirmed that the affection of microbiome can have serious health consequences on newborns, including an increased risk of allergies, obesity, and diabetes, as well as alterations in brain development.
The byproducts of the bacteria that make up the gut flora have been connected to chronic diseases and can impact such different aspects of health as appetite, immunity, and cognition, the study explained.
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Entitled “How pollution changes a baby’s gut, and why it matters,” the research was conducted on 100 babies who were primarily breastfed and then used the babies’ zip codes to measure their exposure to air pollution.
These newborns were exposed to ultra-fine particles PM2.5 and PM10, produced among others by factories and construction sites, and nitrogen dioxide, which is mainly produced by cars.
In particular, the study found that greater exposure to air pollution was associated with a more inflammatory microbiota profile.
Children most exposed to PM2.5 particles had 60% less of a bacterium that fights inflammation and can contribute to brain development. While those most exposed to PM10 particles had 85% more of a bacterium with inflammatory effects.
The study concludes that mothers who want to protect their baby’s microbiome against pollution should breastfeed for as long as possible.
