Infants' gut bacteria linked to food sensitization by Catharine Paddock
More reasons to get those probiotic foods and supplements started early. The team found that infants with less diverse gut bacteria at 3 months were more likely to show sensitivity to certain foods like egg, milk and peanut by the age of 12 months.They suggest patterns of gut bacteria in infancy may serve as biomarkers of future disease with the hope of developing new ways of preventing or treating allergies, possibly by modifying the gut microbiota.The finding is the work of researchers from the University of Alberta and University of Manitoba in Canada and is published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy.The team found that infants with less diverse gut bacteria at 3 months were more likely to show sensitivity to certain foods like egg, milk and peanut by the age of 12 months.Two types of bacteria were of particular significance:Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroidaceae. The researchers found infants that developed food sensitization had different levels of these bacteria compared with those that did not.The team used results of DNA analysis to classify bacteria in the stools of infants collected at 3 months and 12 months of age. From this, they could see which bacteria present early in life predicted the development of food sensitization at 1 year - as measured by a skin reaction test.They suggest patterns of gut bacteria in infancy may serve as biomarkers of future disease.Read more at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290377.php
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