A new study has shown that children with only a limited variety of bacteria in their intestines one week after birth are more likely to developed atopical eczema by the age of 18 months.
The composition of a child’s bacterial flora is dependent on the mother’s vaginal microflora, as she is the source for the child’s bacteria at birth. However, currently as many as a third of all women of childbearing age in the U.S. have bacterial vaginosis, a condition in which negatively affects the balance of bacteria in the vagina.
Foods that promote good intestinal bacteria include cheese and soured vegetables such as sauerkraut, marinated olives, capers, and salted pickles.