Relationship between the Mediterranean Diet Score in Pregnancy and the Incidence of Asthma at 4 Years of Age: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Overviewing allergy epidemiology in Japan - Findings from birth cohorts (JECS and T-Child study)

The escalating global allergy epidemic has emerged as a pressing and persistent challenge, exerting a profound impact on human health systems across centuries. This burgeoning predicament can be attributed to contemporary lifestyles, environmental influences, and genetic predispositions. The manifestation of allergy-related factors exhibits dynamic fluctuations contingent on temporal shifts, geographical distinctions, cultural variances, and diverse demographic strata. In this review, we present recent epidemiological insights derived from two distinct birth cohorts: the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), encompassing the entirety of Japan, and the Tokyo Children's Health, Illness, and Development Study (T-Child Study) within Tokyo. Through this comprehensive review, we offer a comprehensive overview of the latest epidemiological discoveries stemming from these pivotal Japanese birth cohorts, thereby affording a unique opportunity to deliberate on imperative strategies for the optimal management of the allergy epidemic.

Growing Up in Singapore with allergies - Lessons learnt from the GUSTO & S-PRESTO cohorts

Healthcare systems across the world face major challenges due to allergic diseases, known to affect people of all ages. In Singapore, two prominent cohort studies, Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) and the Singapore PREconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO), have made notable advancements to our knowledge and understanding of allergic diseases. These cohorts, which comprised of healthy mother-infant dyads recruited from the healthy Singapore population, have shed light on the complex connections between factors influencing health in early life, preconception and pregnancy, on the pathogenesis of allergic disorders in offspring. GUSTO highlighted significant risk factors in antenatal and early life, such as maternal diet, health and lifestyle choices, as well as infant environmental influences, that contributed to the risk of allergic diseases in the Asian Singaporean population. It also identified differential patterns of allergic disease in comparison to other populations, particularly the role of the microbiome in predicting atopic outcomes. Meanwhile, S-PRESTO further explores the long-term maternal and child outcomes associated with preconception health. Findings seem to suggest that prevention of offspring allergic conditions can be achieved through optimizing maternal health and lifestyle choices before conception. Both studies underscore the significance of early life interventions, preconception health, and personalized approaches to effectively manage and prevent allergies. By leveraging the insights and promising findings from GUSTO and S-PRESTO, future work can drive development of preventative strategies and personalized interventions to reduce burden of allergic diseases in the Singapore population.