"Pandemic Babies" Have Lower Instances of Allergy After Lockdown

The past few years of COVID-19 have affected various dimensions of our social, mental, and physical lives. Zoom and FaceTime took over social interactions, infection with the disease clouded our brains and clogged our nasal pathways, and eventually, we learned to face an era of a "new normal." 

However, amidst all of this, there might actually be some good news for the babies born during the pandemic, a study shows.

Compared to their pre-pandemic counterparts, scientists found significant differences in the gut microbiome of babies that were socially isolated during the pandemic. These gut changes allow the babies to be protected against certain allergies.

The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of various microbes that live in our digestive tracts, and it plays a key role in our overall health—including our immune health.  Approximately 70-80% of the body’s immune cells are in the gut, and gut-associated tissues serve as the first line of defense against pathogens. As the study describes, early in development, the immune system can establish specific thresholds and patterns that affect the long-term risk of developing disease. One of the factors that can affect these established patterns comes from our moms. Mothers can actually pass healthy microbes to their babies while pregnant and breastfeeding— aiding the development of the baby’s naïve immune system.

The researchers showed that infants raised under social-distancing measures had more of the beneficial microbes acquired from their mothers. It revealed that only 5% of the pandemic babies had developed a food allergy at age one, compared to 22.8% before COVID. Additionally, of the pandemic babies, only 17% needed an antibiotic by age one, compared to the 80% of infants before COVID. Pandemic babies were having fewer infections by avoiding exposure to germs. And, by being able to avoid taking antibiotics, they were able to preserve good bacteria in their guts.

The study opens a new perspective on the impact of environmental factors on our gut and immune health: advising minimal social exposure in infancy to prevent potentially adverse long-term effects on the immune system.

Written by Nikhita Joshi

Edited by Siler Monk

References:

1. Wiertsema, S. P., van Bergenhenegouwen, J., Garssen, J., & Knippels, L. M. J. (2021). The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients, 13(3), 886. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030886
2. Korpela K, Hurley S, Ford SA, et al. Association between gut microbiota development and allergy in infants born during pandemic-related social distancing restrictions. Allergy. 2024; 00: 1-14. doi:10.1111/all.16069
3. Photo retrieved from https://growthspectrum.com.au/how-does-your-babys-gut-microbiome-begin/