The First 1000 Days of Life: How Changes in the Microbiota Can Influence Food Allergy Onset in Children

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2023 Sep 28

PMID 37764797

Authors

Veronica Notarbartolo

Maurizio Carta

Salvatore Accomando

Mario Giuffre

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Allergic disease, including food allergies (FA)s, has been identified as a major global disease. The first 1000 days of life can be a "window of opportunity" or a "window of susceptibility", during which several factors can predispose children to FA development. Changes in the composition of the gut microbiota from pregnancy to infancy may play a pivotal role in this regard: some bacterial genera, such as and , seem to be protective against FA development. On the contrary, and appear to be unprotective.

Methods: We conducted research on the most recent literature (2013-2023) using the PubMed and Scopus databases. We included original papers, clinical trials, meta-analyses, and reviews in English. Case reports, series, and letters were excluded.

Results: During pregnancy, the maternal diet can play a fundamental role in influencing the gut microbiota composition of newborns. After birth, human milk can promote the development of protective microbial species via human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which play a prebiotic role. Moreover, complementary feeding can modify the gut microbiota's composition.

Conclusions: The first two years of life are a critical period, during which several factors can increase the risk of FA development in genetically predisposed children.

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