Current Insights on Early Life Nutrition and Prevention of Allergy

The incidence of allergic diseases in childhood appears to have significantly increased over the last decades. Since environmental factors, including diet, have been thought to play a significant role in the development of these diseases, there is great interest in identifying prevention strategies related to early nutritional interventions. Breastfeeding is critical for the immune development of newborns and infants through immune-modulating properties and it impacts the establishment of a healthy gut microbiota. However, the evidence for a protective role of breastfeeding against the development of food allergy in childhood is controversial, and there is little evidence to support the ben…

Antioxidant Effects of Dietary Supplements on Adult COVID-19 Patients: Why Do We Not Also Use Them in Children?

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are very common in children, especially in the first five years of life, and several viruses, such as the influenza virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and Rhinovirus, are triggers for symptoms that usually affect the upper airways. It has been known that during respiratory viral infections, a condition of oxidative stress (OS) occurs, and many studies have suggested the potential use of antioxidants as complementary components in prophylaxis and/or therapy of respiratory viral infections. Preliminary data have demonstrated that antioxidants may also interfere with the new coronavirus 2’s entry and replication in human cells, and that they have a role in …

Composition of Human Breast Milk Microbiota and Its Role in Children's Health

: Human milk contains a number of nutritional and bioactive molecules including microorganisms that constitute the so-called "Human Milk Microbiota (HMM)". Recent studies have shown that not only bacterial but also viral, fungal, and archaeal components are present in the HMM. Previous research has established, a "core" microbiome, consisting of Firmicutes (i.e., Streptococcus, Staphylococcus), Proteobacteria (i.e., Serratia, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Sphingomonas, Bradyrhizobium), and Actinobacteria (i.e., Propionibacterium, Corynebacterium). This review aims to summarize the main characteristics of HMM and the role it plays in shaping a child's health. We reviewed the most recent literature…

General Movements (GMs): assessment and predictive value