What is the reason for the delay in the growth of children?

Scientists have identified a rather unusual reason, which can lead to a delay in the growth of children. It's about the microbial composition of the intestine, it is the microbiological component of this organ that can have a negative impact on the growth of the baby.

Scientific research was conducted in the USA, Russia, France, Finland, Malawi and Saudi Arabia. Specialists of these countries were engaged in studying the composition of microflora in children aged 6 to 8 months.

During the research, all subjects were divided into two groups: the first of them was children having normal growth( corresponding to their age), and the second group included children with a lag in this parameter. As a result of the study, it was found that the participants in the second group have abnormalities in the development of the intestinal microflora( its lag).

The findings were also confirmed during laboratory studies that were conducted on rodents. In particular, it was found that in mice that had a normal composition of the intestinal microflora, the level of growth hormone( somatotropin) exceeded insulin-like growth factor 1.

This factor determines the increase in bone and muscle tissue.

In rodents with a sterile intestinal microflora, the insulin-like factor was reduced. In this case, the level of somatotropin in the mice of this group was normal, but despite this, the rodents had a delay in development and a lag in growth.

After this, mice with a practically sterile intestine were injected with insulin-like growth factor. Simultaneously, the intestine was populated with mycobacteria( lactobacilli).As a result, the development of rodents gradually came to normal. So scientists managed to show that the composition of the intestinal flora can influence the hormonal background.

Another discovery regarding the reasons for the delay in the growth of children is that sialified oligosaccharides related to modified carbohydrates are normally present in the mother's milk. These substances are not digested by the child's body and are not digested, but the benefit is that they are the nutrient medium for the intestinal microflora.

In mothers whose children had a growth retardation, a reduced amount of sialylated oligosaccharides was found in milk.

Experiments in mice confirmed the effect of these modified carbohydrates on growth. These substances were artificially introduced to the rodents, which led to the stimulation of an increase in bones and muscles.

All of the above studies prove that the composition of the intestinal microflora is able to influence the growth and development of children, causing in some cases, their delay.

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