infections in young infants: Case presentations and literature review.

It has been assumed that symptomatic infections do not occur in young infants, as this specific group would lack specific toxin receptors. As a consequence, it is often current practice not to test for in neonates and young infants up to 2 years of age presenting with (bloody) diarrhea. The evidence to support this is, however, weak and largely based on small, poorly designed animal studies.

Composition and stability of intestinal microbiota of healthy children within a Dutch population.

Numerous diseases linked to microbial imbalance can be traced back to childhood, illustrating the impact of the juvenile microbiota development from infancy toward adulthood. However, knowledge on this subject is currently very limited. The primary aim of this study was to characterize composition and short- and long-term stability of the intestinal microbiota in healthy children.

The defecation pattern of healthy term infants up to the age of 3 months.

Background: Defecation problems occur frequently in infants. A clearer insight into the normal defecation pattern is required to gain a better understanding of abnormal defecation.

Aim: To describe the defecation pattern of healthy infants in The Netherlands.