Aaron Hartman, MDFunctional Medicine Specialist | Clinical Researcher

The Childhood Microbiome & Vagus Nerve Connection

6 Jan 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:45

A short spoken excerpt from a YouTube talk by Aaron Hartman, MD, about changing infant gut microbiomes — noting that exclusively breastfed babies today have microbiomes resembling formula-fed babies from a century ago — and the associated decline in Bifidobacterium species (notably B. infantis). The speaker links loss of B. infantis to reduced immune tolerance and a rise in anaphylactic food allergies (stated as 1 in 12 children), and highlights an intimate connection between the gut microbiome and the vagus nerve.

Questions this video answers

Aaron Hartman, MD.

"1 in 12 kids".

Chapters

Fast forward. Now, the microbiomes of exclusively breastfed babies look more like the formula fed babies of a hundred years ago. So even exclusively breastfed babies are going to have less bifidobacteria. And we're seeing this loss of bifidobacteria corresponding with a loss of immune tolerance. We need Bifidobacterium infantis to really help with communicating with your baby's developing immune system, to tolerate the foods that they're eating so that they're not developing anaphylactic allergies left and right. Well, guess what? Anaphylactic allergies right now are significantly on the rise. You know, 1 in 12 kids now. And when you and I were in residency, I mean, how many times did you ever prescribe an EpiPen for a kiddo, right? And there's this intimate connection between the gut microbiome and the vagus nerve.