Invited Talk: Early Life Microbiome, A Risk Factor for Pediatric Allergy

The first 1000 days of life is recognized as an important window to nurture child health and development, and increasing body of evidence indicate that a compromised microbiome is a risk factor for the development of non-communicable diseases. The human gut microbiome is transmitted from one generation to the next. This transgenerational microbial inheritance occurs in early life. Such vertical transmission contributes to educate our immature immune, metabolic and neurocognitive systems during foetal and early life, highlighting the role of the microbiome in health and diseases. Human milk plays a key role in nurturing a healthy microbiome in early life, and maintaining overall health. Several epidemiological studies have depicted associations of prenatal/ postnatal exposure to antibiotics and C-section births with the development of non-communicable diseases such as allergies and obesity. It appears therefore that a disruption of the vertical transmission and early microbial colonization may have long-term consequences on the health of the offspring. Nutritional intervention could be harnessed as a mean to reduce the disease risk associated with a compromised microbiome.