- Altered infant gut microbiome
- Lower allergy and antibiotic need
- Extended breastfeeding benefits
According to one study, two ‘fascinating’ alterations in infants’ bodies during lockdowns during the Covid pandemic may have protected them from disease and allergies.
According to researchers from University College Cork in Ireland, children born during the global lockdown period of COVID-19 were found to have an altered gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of beneficial and detrimental bacteria that aids digestion, eliminates pathogenic bacteria, and regulates the immune system.
The neonates exhibited greater benefits from the biome.
The scientists discovered that this may have contributed to the comparatively lower incidence of allergic conditions, such as food allergies, among ‘Covid babies’ in comparison to infants born before the pandemic.
Additionally, fewer antibiotics were needed to treat illnesses.
A comparison was made between fecal samples obtained from 351 infants born in Ireland during the initial three months of the pandemic, specifically from March to May 2020, and those obtained from infants born before the outbreak.
Data about diet, domestic environment, and health were gathered via online questionnaires to control for variables.
Stool samples were collected at six, twelve, and twenty-four months, and allergy testing was conducted at twenty-four months.
It was discovered that COVID-19 infants had more advantageous microbes they acquired from their mothers postpartum, which may serve as a protective barrier against allergic diseases.
A perturbation in the gastrointestinal microbiome of an individual may contribute to the emergence of food allergies.
Five percent of infants born during the COVID-19 pandemic had developed a food allergy by the time they turned one, compared to 22.8 percent of infants born before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to researchers, pregnant women transferred beneficial microbes to their infants, and the infants subsequently acquired additional beneficial microbes from the environment.
According to the study, babies born during lockdowns had fewer infections because they were not exposed to pathogens and bacteria.
Consequently, reduced antibiotic usage ensued, eliminating beneficial microbes and contributing to an improved microbiome.
Lockdown Effects on Infant Health
The lockdown infants were lactated for an extended duration, which conferred further advantages.
By one year of age, a mere 17 percent of the neonates infected with Covid-19 necessitated the use of antibiotics.
In contrast, 80% of infants in the pre-pandemic cohort had been prescribed antibiotics by the age of 12 months.
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Professor of immunology at University College Cork and co-senior author Liam O’Mahony described this as a “fascinating outcome” that “correlated with higher levels of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria.”
Professor Jonathan Hourihane, the joint senior author of the research and consultant pediatrician at Children’s Health Ireland Temple Street, stated, “This study provides a fresh perspective on the gut microbiome’s response to early-life social isolation.”
It is worth noting that the decreased prevalence of allergic diseases among neonates during the lockdown period may serve to underscore the influence of environmental and lifestyle factors, including the frequent use of antibiotics.
The researchers aim to conduct a follow-up assessment of the children at age five to ascertain whether the initial alterations in the intestinal microbiome have any enduring consequences.
