Part 2 book “Microbiota in health and disease - From pregnancy to childhood” has contents: Gut microbiota - it’s role in paediatric diseases , from bowel to infant behavior, assessment of microbiota, consequences of dysbiosis outside of the gut, manipulating the gut microbiota. | Part IV. Gut microbiota: it’s role in paediatric diseases Chapter 9 The role of intestinal microbiota in infant allergic diseases H. Szajewska Department of Paediatrics, The Medical University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 63A, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland; hania@ Abstract In many countries, particularly in populations with a Western lifestyle, allergic diseases are on the rise. As genetic factors have not changed, environmental factors must be playing a role. Recently, attention has been focused on the role of the gut microbiota. However, despite many years of extensive research, the link between the gut microbiota and allergic diseases still has not been fully clarified. The primary objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the role of the gut microbiota in the development of allergic diseases. The role of probiotics and/or prebiotics as microbiota modifiers for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases is reviewed. The focus is on allergic diseases typically found in infants. Keywords: children, allergy, atopy, eczema, food allergy, randomised controlled trial, meta-analysis Introduction Allergic diseases can occur at almost any age (Boyce et al., 2011; Muraro et al., 2014a). However, some allergic manifestations are most likely to develop for the first time in particular age groups. For example, in infants and children younger than 3 years of age, allergy to food (especially milk, eggs, wheat, nuts) is the most common, affecting up to 8% of children (Sicherer, 2011). The pathophysiology is multifactorial. Allergy is triggered by environmental factors in individuals with genetic susceptibility. The majority of affected infants and children have one or more symptom(s) involving one or more organ system(s), mainly the gastrointestinal tract and/or skin. After the age of 3 years, allergy to inhalants becomes the predominant allergy. Thus, later in life, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and hay fever become common. For diagnosing allergy, .
