The Huffington Post – Jacqueline Howard
“Could germs be to blame for your toddler’s temper tantrums? The complex ecosystem of microbes living in the gastrointestinal tract is known to change considerably in the first two years of life, especially as solid foods are introduced into a child’s diet. And according to a new study, this unstable “gut microbiome” and a toddler’s temperament are linked…Children who were described as extroverted and upbeat tended to have more genetically diverse bacteria in their stool — and that might mean there’s a link between microbial diversity and a more positive temperament. Does this finding suggest that parents can rein in an unruly toddler simply by changing his or her diet? Alas, not quite.”(more)