Marking World Microbiome Day 2021, Nutricia is pleased to present an expert discussion on biotics and their impact on health, gut microbiota and immune outcomes

June 27 marks World Microbiome Day – an opportunity to celebrate all things microbial and to raise awareness of the vibrant and diverse world of microbes. Microorganisms – such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea – live together in communities called microbiomes. Microbiomes are found everywhere – in and on water, soil, plants, food, and animals, and can influence the health of the entire planet.

The composition and makeup of the gut microbiota has also been shown to impact health in humans. In fact, pregnancy and the first two years of life are a critical window during which the composition of the gut microbiota forms. To help raise awareness of the role gut microbiota play in early life, Nutricia supported a satellite symposium on the topic at this year’s World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (WCPGHAN), held June 2-5.

The satellite symposium – “An expert discussion on biotics and their impact on health, gut microbiota and immune outcomes” – was moderated by Dr. Rosan Meyer, Pediatric Dietician at the Imperial College London, and explores the role of the gut microbiota and biotics in healthy infants, in infants with functional gastrointestinal disorders, in infants born via c-section and in infants with cow’s milk allergy.

About 70% of all immune cells are organized in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, and nutrition in early life is a key driver for gut microbiota composition and a healthy immune system later in life. Breast milk is the gold standard for infants in developing a balanced and healthy gut microbiome composition. As discussed in the satellite symposium, if infants cannot be fully breastfed, adding biotics to infant formula is a well-investigated nutritional strategy to support and modulate the gut microbiota and immune system.

Dr. Rosan Meyer

Also participating in the satellite symposium were Professor Mohamad Miqdady, Division Chief, Pediatrics, GI, Hepatology and Nutrition Division, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Clinical Professor, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates; Professor Yvan Vandenplas, Head of the Pediatric Hospital and Head of the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Brussels, Belgium; and Professor Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, Director of the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Division, the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, New York, Professor of Pediatrics New York University School of Medicine, New York.

It’s fascinating to learn through this symposium how much our own gut microbiome can affect our health – right from infancy. Nutricia supports initiatives, like World Microbiome Day 2021, which can help raise that awareness in the healthcare community. Our growing understanding of our gut microbiota is highlighting the potential nutrition can play in helping manage allergies and gastrointestinal disorders in early life.

Sandra Giffen, Global Head of Medical – Specialized Pediatrics, Nutricia

To access the full satellite symposium, please visit:

Danone Nutricia Campus

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