Maisy: Mummy, all my class is talking about the microbiome and its importance for our wellbeing. Is this true?
Mummy: yes, darling it is true.
Maisy: And what does wellbeing mean?
Mummy: well, it means how healthy you are and feel: for example, whether or not you sneeze all the time every Spring when the rapeseed crop is in full bloom, or whether you feel anxious for stressed without no obvious reason.
Maisy: and I heard that there is such thing as faecal transplants - which sounds horrible; is eating poo, right? - that can improve microbiomes that are not good?
Mummy: well, yes, there are reports of some excellent results with FMT, but of course these do not involve people eating poo scraped from the toilet bowl which, I admit does not sound terribly appetising, but rather medicines that contain organisms from poo.
Maisy: and I also heard that our microbiomes come from our mummies, when we are born.
Mummy: yes, that is true. Although daddies are good for some things, mummies give the microbiome. Scientists call us the microbiome seed bank.
Maisy: what is a seed bank?
Mummy: a seed bank is a permanent bank of seeds - like flower seeds (do you remember how Granny used to collect seeds from her Nasturtium plants every autumn that would provide the plants that would provide the beautiful flowers next year?) - that conserve the diversity of the plants, animals, or in this case the microbes of the microbiome, for the future.
Maisy: so you are the seed bank of all the children of our family?
Mummy: yes: gosh - you are so clever! And my mummy was the seed bank for my microbiota.
Maisy: but does that mean that my microbiome comes from my granny, and her mummy, and her granny, etc., etc?
Mummy: golly - you are wise beyond your years! But, yes, the seed bank is carried through the mummies over generations.
Maisy: so mummies are responsible for our wellbeing, not only because they take care of us, but because they give us the seedbank. Gosh: this means I carry the seedbank for my children, your grandchildren!!!!!
Mummy: yes, my darling: you do!
Maisy: but what do I do to make sure that it is good and gives my babies the best possible wellbeing?
Mummy: oh my goodness: you are asking such profound questions for an 8-year-old! The main thing is to lead a healthy life, not to eat or drink bad things, not to get into mischief, to make sure you do not get infections, by wrapping up well in cold weather, by not getting wet, and above all by keeping yourself and your room clean. Especially your teeth.
Maisy: But: if I am the giver of the microbiome, surely I am vastly superior to Johnny, who fiddles all day with his iPhone, eats only pizza when he can, runs around in shorts with his sneaker laces undone, and never washes behind his ears!
Mummy: (cough) erm, well, we can’t say that because indeed he has other positive features, but now it really is time for your to get down to your homework!