‘Fecal Milkshake’ May Help Microbial Diversity
“Do not try this at home,” experts warn
Call for further research arises,
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, ‘Research has shown that feeding a small amount of mother’s feces mixed with milk to babies born via cesarean section may be beneficial to their health.’,
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, “On October 18th, at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), infectious disease experts from Helsinki University Hospital in Finland presented research findings on the so-called ‘fecal milkshake.’ This involves mixing a small amount of the mother’s feces with breast milk or formula. According to the study, Dr. Otto Helve’s team, from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, conducted experiments on 90 women scheduled for cesarean sections at Helsinki University Hospital. The research team provided the babies with milk containing 3.5 mg of the mother’s feces during their first feeding. For comparison, 15 babies received this fecal shake, while another 16 were given a placebo.”,
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, ‘The research team stated, “Analysis showed that while the microbial diversity of the two groups was similar at birth, significant differences emerged later between the babies who consumed small amounts of feces and those who did not.” They noted that “this difference persisted from the introduction of solid foods up until six months of age.” The experiment is ongoing, and the researchers plan to monitor the health of the infants over a total of two years. However, they cautioned, “Hospitals can rigorously test participating women’s feces for pathogens that could lead to diseases in newborns, a safeguard not feasible at home,” stressing that individuals should not attempt this method.”,
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, ‘Additionally, they highlighted, “Babies born via cesarean are known to be at higher risk for conditions such as asthma, digestive inflammation, and immune-related diseases compared to those born naturally.” They also pointed out that, because cesarean-born babies are not exposed to the mother’s vaginal and intestinal microbes, there is a notable difference in gut bacteria distribution compared to naturally born infants.’,
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, ‘However, there are also skeptical views regarding the study. Dr. Jan Xiao, a microbiologist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, expressed concerns about fully trusting the study’s effects. He cited the lack of direct comparison with naturally born babies as an issue, stating that additional research is necessary to directly compare the efficacy of the ‘fecal milkshake’ in establishing a healthy gut microbiome.’,
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