A common discussion in our office,” Doctor, why are allergies on the rise?” Is it antibiotics? Is it vaccines? Is it the pesticides? Is it our food? Is it genetics? Is it how we introduce foods into an infant’s diet? Is it due to increase in cesarean section births? Is it breastfeeding? Is it early exposure to pets or lack of early exposure to pets? When I’m asked this question in the exam room I respond by asking,” Do you have a few hours?” This article highlights findings from studies at UCSF which indicate that infant males with the lowest level of gut bacteria are at highest risk to develop allergy. The newest buzz word is ‘Microbiome”. A microbiome is a group of bacteria that inhabit an area of the body which ultimately promote immune health. There is a microbiome in the nasal cavity, on the skin, in the gut, and basically anywhere on or in the body.
We still don’t know the definitive answer but we continue to search for the cause and attempt to decrease this disease. Attached is an articile from The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday October 11,2016.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/study-sees-link-between-allergies-and-the-infant-gut-1476122104
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