Infant Gut Bacteria Imbalances Linked to Major Childhood Allergies

A recent study discovered a common factor among four major childhood allergies: an early-life imbalance in gut bacteria. These findings may lead to treatments aiming to restore the gut microbiome in children, potentially averting lifelong allergic conditions.

Countless individuals around the globe suffer from allergies, and like numerous contemporary health issues, they have been associated with gut health and the gut microbiome. Considering that the microbiome and an infant’s immune system develop simultaneously, a recent study has explored the relationship between these two factors.

Exploring the Role of Gut Bacteria and Early-Life Factors in Childhood Allergies

Scientists hailing from the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital in Canada delved into the impact of gut bacteria and early-life factors in the development of four significant childhood allergies: eczema, asthma, food allergies, and hay fever.

Stuart Turvey, the study’s corresponding author, remarked, “We’re witnessing an increasing number of children and families seeking emergency assistance for allergies. Allergies affect hundreds of millions of children globally, including one in three children in Canada, making it crucial to comprehend the reasons behind this trend and explore preventive measures.”

While each of the four allergy types manifests its distinct symptoms, the researchers aimed to investigate whether they shared a common origin linked to gut bacteria composition.

Charisse Petersen, one of the study’s co-authors, explained, “These conditions are technically distinct diagnoses, each with its unique set of symptoms, which often leads researchers to study them separately. However, when you delve into the cellular level, they actually share many commonalities.”

Tracking Children’s Health and Microbiomes from Birth to Age Five

To conduct their research, the team followed 1,115 children from birth to age five. Among them, 523 were categorized as “healthy,” meaning they exhibited no evidence or history of allergies, while 592 had been diagnosed with one or more allergic disorders (such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergies) by expert physicians during their scheduled five-year visit. The researchers analyzed the children’s microbiomes using stool samples collected at three months and one year of age.

Analysis of the stool samples unveiled a shared bacterial “signature” associated with children who had developed any of the four allergies by age five. This signature indicated an imbalanced gut microbiota or dysbiosis, which likely led to a compromised intestinal lining and an increased inflammatory response in the gut.

Courtney Hoskinson, the lead author of the study, explained, “Typically, our bodies tolerate the millions of bacteria residing in our guts because they contribute significantly to our health. We maintain this tolerance by maintaining a robust barrier between these bacteria and our immune cells and by reducing inflammatory signals that would activate these immune cells. We identified a common breakdown in these mechanisms in infants before the onset of allergies.”

Exploring the Impact of Antibiotics and Breastfeeding on Children’s Microbiota and Allergy Risk

The researchers also investigated whether factors like antibiotic use or breastfeeding influenced the children’s microbiota and their susceptibility to allergies.

Stuart Turvey remarked, “This comprehensive analysis offers numerous potential insights. From this data, we observe that factors such as early-life antibiotic usage increase the likelihood of subsequent allergic disorders, while breastfeeding for the first six months provides protection. This protective effect was consistent across all the allergic conditions we studied.”

The study’s findings are expected to guide the development of therapies aimed at rectifying gut dysbiosis, with the potential to prevent the development of allergies.

Turvey added, “Developing interventions that modify these interactions during infancy may, therefore, offer a means to prevent the onset of various allergic diseases in childhood, many of which persist throughout a person’s lifetime.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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