Bifidobacterium bacteria are regarded as a vital part to infant health. They are supposed to prevent the growth of disease-causing bacteria. Mother's milk can help increase the development of Bifidobacterium. As the microbiome matures, Bifidobacterium decreases, and although it is a genus commonly found in the adult gut, its overall level generally makes up less than 3% of an individual’s total bacterial load.

The Bifidobacterium species are non-pathogenic, and are deliberately added to some food products because of their beneficial probiotic health effects, such as:

- better lactose tolerance

- the prevention of diarrhea

- a reduction in food allergies

- the inhibition of the growth of pathogenic organisms

References:

- Low Relative Abundances of the Mucolytic Bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium spp. in Feces of Children with Autism [L]

- Bifidobacteria: their impact on gut microbiota composition and their applications as probiotics in infants. [L]

- Nursing our microbiota: molecular linkages between bifidobacteria and milk oligosaccharides. [L]