Dr. Vincent Ho - The Healthy Baby Gut Guide: Prevent Allergies, Build Immunity and Strengthen Microbiome Health From Day One

Copyright 2020 by Dr. Vincent Ho

First published in North America by Greystone Books in 2022

Originally published in 2020 by Allen & Unwin, Australia

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Greystone Books Ltd.

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Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada

ISBN 978-1-77164-885-1 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-77164-886-8 (epub)

Cover and text design by Fiona Siu

Cover photograph by Poravute/iStock

Greystone Books gratefully acknowledges the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples on whose land our Vancouver head office is located.

Greystone Books thanks the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Government of Canada for supporting our publishing activities.

The content presented in this book is meant for informational purposes only. The purchaser of this book understands that the information contained within this book is not intended to replace medical advice or to be relied upon to treat, cure or prevent any disease, illness or medical condition. It is understood that you will seek full medical clearance by a licensed physician before making any changes mentioned in this book. The author and publisher claim no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application or interpretation of the material in this book.

MY STORY

It was a Saturday afternoon and my wife Cindy and I were at a Chinese yum-cha restaurant with our extended family, including our six-month-old daughter Olivia. The dumplings had all been devoured and it was time for dessert. One of the delicacies at the yum-cha restaurant was an egg tart. We fed a bit of one to Olivia. We were introducing her to a range of solid foods at the time and thought nothing of giving her a piece. But just a few minutes later my mother-in-law noticed a new rash over Olivias lips. The rash then spread all over her face, and she started to become wheezy. She looked quite uncomfortable, and I thought that she might be in pain. We all rushed over to hermyself, Cindy, my brother-in-law, his girlfriend and both grandparents. The waitresses even came over to see what was going on. In the middle of the cacophony, I heard a voice yell out: Is there an EpiPen? That panic-stricken voice was mine.

I am a qualified medical specialist, but in this situation I was absolutely powerless. I had no access to any medical resources, and there was no EpiPen in the restaurant. For a few terrifying moments, I watched as my daughters reaction escalated, my own heart pounding as my worst fears as a parent were realized.

We rushed her into the car to take her to the nearby hospital, but mercifully her reaction began to subside. As we drove, she did not become short of breath nor did her face swell up. When we got to the emergency department, Olivia was assessed as stable and discharged with advice to follow up with an allergy specialist.

Without a doubt, this was one of the most harrowing and distressing events in my life to date. If you are reading this book, you may also have experienced such an event. Your child may have a severe allergy or a mild one. Maybe you have an allergy yourself and are concerned about your kids risk of developing one. Perhaps you are planning a family, pregnant or hoping to expand your family, and you are aware of the increasing rate of allergies and want to know what you can do to reduce the likelihood that your baby will have one. Whatever the case may be, as a doctor and a parent I can sympathize with the feelings of fear, anxiety and disempowerment that you are probably feeling in the face of the scourge of allergies. Im here to tell you that you are not alone. Ive written this book to provide you with an arsenal of information about the practical things that you can do during pregnancy and birth, and on into your babys infancy and early childhood, to help prevent allergies developing. A new wave of science has brought fresh understanding about the link between allergies and the gut that every parent concerned about allergies should know about.

ABOUT ME

My dad worked at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Australia, as a lab scientist, and I remember visiting his lab a few times as a kid, so you might say that it runs in the family. I was entranced by what he did and knew that I was meant to follow in his footsteps.

After high school, I attended medical school at the University of New South Wales. I remained intrigued about lab work and had the opportunity to do a summer research scholarship at the Childrens Cancer Research Institute located nearby, working on leukemia cells. This led to a curiosity about cancer cells, which I maintained during my PhD when I studied the biological markers of rectal cancer.

Im now a senior lecturer at Western Sydney University in Sydney, where I also head a research lab. Were carrying out a different line of research to my previous work on cancer, but there is always a translational aim, which means that we try to translate a discovery in the lab into an application for the bedside. Practical implementation is at the forefront of my work.

In addition to being a researcher, Im a practicing gastroenterologist who sees patients with all sorts of gut problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. One thing Ive learned over the course of my career is that for many of my patients their problems have been around for a long time, often starting in childhood.

Why did I get into this area of the infant gut? I have a personal interest stemming from my two young childrenOlivia, who is four and a half at the time of writing this book, and Brandon, who is two and a half. Looking after their health is my top priority; in light of Olivias allergy, I couldnt be more motivated to uncover the causes and investigate treatments for allergies. I have devoted countless hours over the last few years to learning the science of the infant gut and allergiesIm passionate about unlocking the mysteries of childhood allergies and the way that the gut functions.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

My aim is to help you understand the science of allergies and the factors that we believe cause allergies, as well as to offer some sensible and practical strategies for reducing the risk of allergies for your child. This book will also cover managing your childs condition if they have one, and preventing it from becoming worse. Well investigate the link between allergies and your babys gut, how the gut develops, what an allergy is and isnt, as well as what you can do to best aid your babys health during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. The first 1000 days of life starts at conception and is a crucial period for parents to take action in allergy prevention. Youll see that each chapter includes specific, practical advice on what you as a parent can do during this time.