Reference Number: 212
Year: 2014
Link: Link to original paper
Health: Asthma | Gut Microbiome - Creating Healthier Bread to Support Optimal Gut Health
Summary
Background: Low total diversity of the gut microbiota during the first year of life is associated with allergic diseases in infancy, but little is known how early microbial diversity is related to allergic disease later in school age.
Objective: To assess microbial diversity and characterize the dominant bacteria in stool during the first year of life in relation to the prevalence of different allergic diseases in school age, such as asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema.
Conclusion and Clinical relevance: Low total diversity of the gut microbiota during the first month of life was associated with asthma but not allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in children at seven years of age. Measures affecting microbial colonisation of the infant during the first month of life may impact asthma development in childhood.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY
Further evidence that the gut microbiome, especially the diversity of gut microbes at an early age, is potentially linked to the likelihood of developing allergies later in life.