A study published in Cell Reports Medicine found that meconium analysis may indicate a child's predisposition to allergies.
Meconium, the microbiome and allergies. What is the connection?
Meconium is no ordinary stool. It contains various substances that entered the digestive system of the fetus during its stay in the womb. Among its standard components are amniotic fluid, fetal skin cells, and skin secretions. In addition, it includes many substances due to the mother's diet. Its composition may indicate what acted on the fetus during its development. In addition, it provides scientists with information about what influences the formation of the human gut microbiome early in life.
“Meconium is a kind of time capsule that shows what acted on the fetus before it was born. These substances then become the primary food source for the very first bacteria in the gut,” explained Professor Charisse Petersen of the University of British Columbia, co-author of the new study. She added that the more diverse the composition of the meconium, the richer the gut microbiome with different types of bacteria.
Previously, it was known that the risk of developing allergies and bronchial asthma is associated with a low diversity of the composition of the gut microbiome. There is a hypothesis that the diversity of bacteria «trains» the human immune system to tolerate various harmless substances. Accordingly, it reduces the likelihood that the immune system will work in response to food or plant pollen, as is the case with allergies.
What the new study found
In a new study, Canadian scientists analyzed the meconium of 100 newborns. They then compared the data on its composition with the risk of developing allergies by the children's first birthday.
A quarter of the examined children had meconium, which had the most chemically diverse composition, the risk of developing allergies after 12 months was two times lower than that of the rest. Similarly, the greatest diversity of bacteria in meconium and the subsequent risk of allergies.
With the help of artificial intelligence, scientists were able to predict the risk of developing allergies in children with an accuracy of 76%. Petersen noted that the results of the study show how prenatal factors influence the formation of the immune system.
“We know that children with allergies are more likely to develop asthma. We now have the opportunity to identify high-risk children who may benefit from early medical intervention, even before the first symptoms of allergies and asthma appear,” said Stuart Turvey of the University of British Columbia, co-author of the study.< /p>