Recent Study Reveals Antibiotics’ Impact on Children’s Immune System Development
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shown for the first time how depleting bacteria in newborns’ intestines through antibiotic use can lead to lifelong respiratory allergies.
A research team from the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME), in a study recently published in the journal “Allergy and Clinical Immunology,” identified a series of events leading to allergies and asthma, thus highlighting numerous new avenues to explore potential prevention and treatment methods.
Lead author Dr. Kelly McNagny, a professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Medical Genetics, said, “Our research finally shows how gut bacteria and antibiotics affect the newborn’s immune system, making it more susceptible to allergies. When you see something like this, your understanding of chronic diseases changes completely,” adding that “it’s a carefully orchestrated process that can have long-term effects on susceptibility to chronic diseases in adulthood.”
Allergies result from an overreaction of the immune system to non-harmful substances, such as pollen or animal dander; they are a leading cause of emergency room visits for children.
The immune system protects the body from harmful invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. In the case of allergies, the immune system mistakenly identifies something harmless as an external threat and thus triggers a response causing symptoms such as sneezing, itching, or swelling.
The immune system develops very early in life, and research over the past two decades has shown that microbes in an infant’s gut play a key role.
With this new understanding, patients can look forward to more effective and long-lasting solutions that address the root of the problem, paving the way for a future where allergy management could be more effective, or perhaps avoided altogether.
