Gut health test services today: It’s never too late to test! Gut health matters at every age. And the sooner you have a baseline sample, the better. During the first year, a baby’s microbiome sees dramatic shifts. This path sets the trajectory for their health, all the way through adulthood. For this reason, we encourage parents to sample as soon as possible, from age 0 to 3 years old and beyond. A child’s gut is still maturing until the age of 3 to 5 years old. Up to this point, you have the best opportunity to check in on your little one’s gut health and make changes, if needed. Even if your child’s gut has reached maturity, you can still take steps to influence their health! For older children and adults, gut health testing can reveal a lot. See additional info on gut biome testing. Track and optimize your family’s health – Test proactively and take action early to support a lifetime of better health.

Did you know that your little one’s brain is growing super fast during the first two years of life? It’s like they’re building a supercomputer in there! But here’s something even cooler – The bacteria in your baby’s gut might be helping with this brain-building process. Yup, studies with animals have shown that the gut microbiome is important for healthy brain function. And now, scientists are starting to think that the same may be true for cognitive development in infants. So, what does this mean for you and your baby? Well, it’s just another reason to make sure your little one is eating a healthy and balanced diet. That way, their gut bacteria can do their job and help your baby’s brain reach its full potential.

Emerging microbiome research has shown the importance of gut health to our overall health. The science links 80% of our immune system to the gut. So, taking steps to improve gut health supports lifelong wellness. Taking a gut microbiome test is the best way to determine if there are any imbalances in your gut that need course correction. Testing helps educate you on the best actions for your unique microbiome. And you can retest to track if dietary changes and gut health supplements or probiotics are having the intended effect.

Ideally, infant gut microbiome maturation is low before 4 months old and steadily increases until reaching adult-like maturity by the time your child is 3-5 years old. Early microbiome maturation in babies 0 to 6 months has been associated with higher risk of eczema. Tiny Health’s maturation index measures the trajectory of your baby’s gut microbiome as it matures. The Maturation index is displayed in the Balance and robustness category of your report. When present in high levels, opportunistic pathogens may cause trouble by promoting inflammation and disrupting the gut barrier. A weakened gut barrier is more permeable, something that has been detected in those with eczema. Having too much of one species is not ideal for gut health. Unfriendly or variable species can stir up trouble at high levels. Too much of a single beneficial species is not optimal either, as by taking too much space, they contribute to low diversity. We want to see diversity increase as your baby’s gut microbiome matures. If any overabundant species are detected in your sample, they are displayed within the Balance and robustness category.

You receive a comprehensive list of all microbes found in your sample. We categorize them as beneficial, unfriendly, variable, or unknown and provide detailed descriptions of each microbe. You can see how much of each microbe is present, down to a 0.05% abundance level. (No other baby gut test does this!) This section of the report identifies if you have microbiome signatures for certain conditions. These markers could predict an increased risk of developing that condition. We provide personal, evidence-based suggestions based on your test results and survey responses. Our suggestions may include actual products and brands that we recommend. You’ll also receive useful diet, supplement, and lifestyle tips. Read even more details at https://www.tinyhealth.com/.