ALBERTA, Canada – New research is showing that infants with a smaller number of different gut bacteria at three months may be more likely to become sensitized to foods such as milk, egg or peanut by the time they reach a year old.
Researchers conclude the data they have collected on gut bacterial patterns during infancy can serve as a biomarker for future disease.
The study was published in the February edition of the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy and was spotlighted as the publication’s editor’s choice.
Children who developed sensitization to foods also had altered levels of Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroidaceae compared to children who were not sensitized.
The study examined data collected on 166 infants enrolled in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study, which involves more than 3,500 newborn infants across Canada. These infants are being closely monitored to determine the genetic and home environment factors that may contribute to allergies and asthma.
The discovery may have an impact on how food allergies are treated, possibly by treating and modifying gut microbiota.