Pediatrician Dr. Elisa Song links rising childhood conditions like ADHD, asthma, and eczema to early gut microbiome damage from C-sections, antibiotics, and processed foods. She says the microbiome is resilient and reversible through fiber, fermented foods, and probiotics, and recommends testing with Tiny Health's microbiome kit.
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Still ahead, is your child's tummy the key to their focus, behavior, even their immune system? Coming up after the break, a growing number of doctors say we've been overlooking the most important organ in pediatrics. We're going to explain what that is and how parents can start making changes today. On the other side, our next guest is on a mission to change how we treat children's health, starting with the gut. Dr. Lisa Song is a pediatrician and chief medical officer at Tiny Health, and she's making big waves by linking gut health to behavior immunity and more. Dr. Song joins us now to break down the newest data and what it means for parents in the dmv. Thank you for being with us. So we are seeing such a rise in chronic childhood conditions like adhd, anxiety and food allergies right here in the dmv. Is that the environment, diet, or something else?
Hey, Marie, I'm so excited to be here and share this news. Our kids really are in crisis right now. Nearly one in two kids in the United States has at least one chronic disease, as you mentioned, eczema, asthma, allergies, ADHD and anxiety. And it's even worse for black and hispan children, who are much more likely to develop these conditions. So I'm here to tell parents that while these conditions may be common, they're not normal and they're not inevitable. In most cases, it starts in the gut. And we just have to know what is causing disruption to the gut microbiome. And as you said, there are many factors that are right here in front of us.
So what are the biggest disruptors then to gut health in children?
So, unfortunately, some of the biggest disruptors to our gut microbiome happen early in life. These can include C sections, antibiotic use, formula feeding. But even once they're born, they include the foods that we're eating, like ultra processed foods, exposure to environmental toxins like poor air quality, and even psychological stress. And all of these can harm the gut microbiome and set the stage for chronic conditions.
So is your child's gut health, can it be determined at birth or can it really be changed over time? I wonder.
So there are many factors in the first thousand days of life that can set the stage for your child's gut microbiome. However, your gut microbiome is your child's gut microbiome is so resilient, and it's never too late to restore a disrupted gut microbiome through the diet and the lifestyle choices we're making. And with the knowledge of where your child's gut is starting from.
So if you do that part, lifestyle changes, you know, where you really hone in on that. Can you reduce the need for medication or maybe eradicate the need for medication altogether?
Well, that is my goal. You know, in my book Healthy Kids, Happy Kids, I actually teach kids how to create microbiome magic every day so that we can create a forward movement of a healthy trajectory of a gut microbiome. And there are three things that I talk about with families. The first thing is we have to feed the good bugs. We have to nourish them with fiber, fermented foods, phytonutrients, all the colors in our diet. We have to rebuild after antibiotics and medications so that hopefully we can prevent the need for feeding future medications. Antibiotics, many people don't realize, can wipe out the good bacteria right along with the bad bacteria. So if your child needs antibiotics, we have to be sure to support their gut health with probiotics and gut healing foods. And finally, I am chief medical officer of Tiny Health, which is the only gut microbiome test with reference ranges for infants and children. We need to know where they're starting from. And with a simple swab, literally of their poop, which we as moms are checking all the time, we can see exactly what's going on and course correct after antibiotics or C sections and really create a personalized plan to get their gut back on track.
I love that. So simple, especially for parents who are worried about this. Are there any certain everyday foods that you can tell us that either harm or help a child's gut that parents may not even realize that it's doing that?
Yeah. Well, the things that we really want to know to get in are what I call our microbiome champions. And I pointed to some of those. Our fiber filled foods, like our whole grains, our beans, our fruits and vegetables. Now, our fruits and vegetables also contain color. The more color we can get, the more we support our gut. Each color will support different microbes that support your kid's health. And also we want to get in fermented foods. Now think sauerkraut, yogurt, pickles. Now if your kids are not into fermented foods just yet, we want to think creatively. I have a recipe for a fermented BlackBerry lemonade in my book that kids love. Now, the things we want to keep out, I have a teenager, I have two teenagers. In fact. This is really important for them because when they're out with their friends, I want to know, I want them to know how to make those healthy choices, they need to look at the label and really get out. Too much added sugars. Any of those artificial dyes and additives really can wreak havoc on our gut microbiome.
Dr. Lisa Song, we're going to have to leave it there. But how can folks get more information from you?
The best place is tinyhealth.com and also on Instagram, which is Tiny Health.
Appreciate you and the insight this morning. Very important discussion to be had. Dr. Lisa Song, thanks for your time.
