Dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease: a role for bacteriophages?
There is very strong evidence of the contribution to altered bacterial flora in the development of inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. However, the role of probiotics in the treatment of IBD is not as clear cut. It basically appears that, once the alterations from improper flora are present, the physiology has a real time correcting itself. Which brings us back to what alters the flora in the GI tract in the first place. The answer begins at delivery. We know that infants born vaginally have a much different flora then C-section babies. Couple this with the 90-something percent of infants that have antibiotics by the time they’re 2 and you’ve got a recipe for physiological disaster.
At some point pediatricians have to crack open a medical journal and realize the massive level of harm we are causing by indiscriminate antibiotic use for largely self-limiting conditions. I have a 2 1/2 year old that’s never even breathed the fumes of the ink off an antibiotic prescription. It’s not that difficult to maintain healthy toddlers–you just can’t follow the status quo. Make the right decisions and you can help protect your child from adult diseases.