Introduction of Egg White and Yolk to Infant Diets and Early Childhood Atopic Dermatitis

Early-life exposures and the microbiome: implications for IBD prevention

The early-life period is one of microbiome establishment and immune maturation. Early-life exposures are increasingly being recognised to play an important role in IBD risk. The composition of functions of the gut microbiome in the prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal period may be crucial towards development of health or disease, including IBD, later in life. We herein present a comprehensive summary of the interplay between early-life factors and microbiome perturbations, and their association with risk of IBD. In addition, we provide an overview of host and external factors in early life that are known to impact gut microbiome maturation and exposures implicated in IBD risk. Considering the emerging concept of IBD prevention, we propose strategies to minimise maternal and offspring exposure to potentially harmful variables and recommend protective measures during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This holistic view of early-life factors and microbiome signatures among mothers and their offspring will help frame our current understanding of their importance towards IBD pathogenesis and frame the roadmap for preventive strategies.

Effects of Early Diet on the Prevalence of Allergic Disease in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Recent evidence suggests that the timing of introduction, types, and amounts of complementary foods/allergenic foods may influence the risk of allergic disease. However, the evidence has not been updated and comprehensively synthesized. The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed databases were searched from the inception of each database up to 31 May 2023 (articles prior to 2000 were excluded manually). Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5. The GRADE approach was followed to rate the certainty of evidence. Compared with >6 mo, early introduction of eggs (≤6 mo of age) might reduce the risk of food allergies in preschoolers aged <6 y (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53, 0.81), but had no effect on asthma or atopic dermatitis (AD). Consumption of fish at 6-12 mo might reduce the risk of asthma in children (aged 5-17 y) compared with late introduction after 12 mo (OR, 0.61; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.72). Introduction of allergenic foods for ≤6 mo of age, compared with >6 mos, was a protective factor for the future risk (children aged ≤10 y) of AD (OR, 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.97). Probiotic intervention for infants at high risk of allergic disease significantly reduced the risk of food allergy at ages 0-3 y (OR, 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.94), asthma at 6-12 y (OR, 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.90), and AD at aged <6 y (3-6 y: OR, 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.94; 0-3 y: OR, 0.73; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.91). Early introduction of complementary foods or the high-dose vitamin D supplementation in infancy was not associated with the risk of developing food allergies, asthma, or AD during childhood. Early introduction to potential allergen foods for normal infants or probiotics for infants at high risk of allergies may protect against development of allergic disease. This study was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42022379264.