While living through the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of focus has been put on boosting your immune system. We are all doing our part to keep our selves and our communities safe, including here at Birth Boss, where we are offering our support virtually for the time being. All of this talk about immune systems got me thinking about the many wonderful ways our own bodies protect themselves from infection and disease, starting right from birth. Here are five tips for boosting your baby’s immune system from the get-go, so they have strong guts full of healthy bacteria to fight off any pathogens that come their way.

Breastfeeding

There is a lot we don’t know about human milk. What we do know is that it contains powerful antibodies, immune factors, enzymes, and white blood cells that equip your baby with the immunity to fight infection. Even if you’re feeling sick, the research shows that it’s better to continue breastfeeding, as your body will produce the antibodies your baby needs to fight off those germs. How does this magic work, you ask? As your baby suckles at the breast, your mammary glands detect pathogens in their saliva and encourage the production of antibodies to fight it. For the next feed, your milk will have adapted and created a bespoke concoction to keep your baby safe & strong. Science is wild, right?

I understand that not all people are able to breastfeed. In this case, many will look into milk banking/sharing for the immunological benefits human milk offers. The number one reason people quit breastfeeding is due to a lack of support, so if you are struggling, please reach out to a lactation-trained doula or lactation consultant.

Skin-to-Skin

Our skin is lined with lots of healthy bacteria that respond to any bad bacteria they face. This good bacteria helps babies fight infections and equips their immune system with the tools to fight infections later in life. Babies start with a blank slate, which is why it’s so essential that they receive a boost of that good bacteria, rather than being left sterile in isolation. This is why the WHO recommends skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth for every baby, no matter where they are born, or whether it’s a vaginal or cesarean birth. Unicef defines skin-to-skin as: “the practice where a baby is dried and laid directly on their mother’s bare chest after birth, both of them covered in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour or until after the first feed.”

In addition to the immunological benefits, skin-to-skin helps regulate the infant’s heart rate and breathing patterns, calms them down, regulates temperature, and supports bonding/attachment. If skin-to-skin can not be done with the birthing person, the birth partner can fill this role. Be sure to wear easily removable clothing in the pushing stage, or if wearing a hospital gown, be careful as to how IVs/monitors are wired to easily drape the gown.

Vaginal Seeding

Studies have shown that babies born vaginally versus those born via cesarean have different gut bacteria. Those born vaginally have gut bacteria similar to those of their birthing parent, whereas those born via cesarean have bacteria similar to the hospital environment where they were born. That has led scientists to believe that the bacteria in the vaginal canal plays a significant role in colonizing the infant microbiome.

That is the premise behind vaginal seeding - a process where a swab of vaginal fluid, taken prior to birth, is rubbed over the newborn’s face and mouth to expose them to the vaginal microbes that lower the risk of immune & metabolic disorders. Read more about vaginal seeding at this blog post here.

Delayed Bathing

When babies are born, they come out covered in a substance called “vernix.” That white cheesy stuff on your baby after birth is packed proteins, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial compounds, as well as a substance that helps keep baby’s skin moist in-utero. Without it, your baby would be born looking even more wrinkly, having soaked in amniotic fluid, like your toes after a long bath. Vernix, however, has more responsibilities than skincare. Vernix has antimicrobial properties, providing an extra layer of defense once baby is born.

It used to be standard practice that immediately after birth, babies were taken away to be cleaned, tightly swaddled, then returned to the family looking good as new. Many families are choosing to delay that first bath to soak up all of the vernix’s defensive properties. If your baby has blood or meconium on their skin, feel free to sponge bathe those dirty spots with a cloth and warm water (and water alone). Outside of spot treating, follow the WHO recommendations and leave on that vernix to do its thing. The majority of vernix will be absorbed in the first 24 hours, and pretty much all within 5-6 days. You can delay the first bath until then - there’s no sanitation need to wash your baby before that time.

Probiotics

All babies are born with a sterile gut - a clean slate if you will. Through the bacteria babies are exposed to via milk and the environment around them, their gut microbiome develops. This plays a key role in the digestion of food and development of their immune system. Probiotics help support this process by aiding the bacterial colonization of your baby’s gut flora. Research shows that specially formulated infant probiotics are totally safe. Give your breastfed baby an extra probiotic boost by consuming a high-grade probiotic supplement or fermented foods yourself.

SOURCES:

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Boost Your Baby's Immune System from Birth