Babies, Parenting, Child Health, Infant Nutrition

Baby Development – University of Helsinki study asks: Has Decreased Infection Load of Infants Led to Increased Allergic and Autoimmune Disease?

05.29.2008 | 8:05:04 pm | Posted by mummums

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

It is often advised to keep a sterile environment for babies by sterilizing bottles and binkies, as well as regular hand washing. Many antibacterial soaps and wipes are marketed to children, parents, and caregivers. In addition, the majority of children are vaccinated against several serious viruses and bacteria before the age of 3. A new study asks a poignant question: by removing all bacteria, are we actually weakening an infant’s immune system?

Higher living standards seem to promote the development of allergies and autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body treats its own tissues and cells like they are harmful invaders and begins attacking them as such. Celiac disease is considered an autoimmune disorder in which gluten signals an attack on the epithelial cells of the intestines. Stemming from the “hygiene theory”, it is believed that without normal day to day encounters with bacteria to eliminate from the body, the body begins to attack itself.

baby development, celiac disease Allergies and autoimmune disorders have been steadily increasing in industrialized countries since the Second World War. For the first time, an extensive research project has begun to examine this very phenomenon by taking a look at how a child’s living environment affects the development of their immune system.

Six million Euros have been given to the University of Helsinki by the European Union (EU) and its Seventh Framework Program. The project, entitled DIABIMMUNE, is set to run from 2008-2013 and hopes to determine if the decrease in infection load has lead to the development of type 1 diabetes and the increase of allergies. DIABIMMUNE includes 12 partners from 5 countries including Finland and Russia and will involve over 9, 000 children being followed from birth until their 3^rd and 5^th birthdays. Previous studies have found that Finnish children have six times greater the cases of type 1 diabetes and a 5 times higher rate of celiac disease than Russian children. Despite this prevalence, both nationalities have equal amounts of HLA gene variants, which predispose people to autoimmune disease.

Researchers note that the frequency of autoimmune disorders cannot be due to genetics based on the variance of the genetic makeup of the children in the study. The DIABIMMUNE project will focus on the development of intestinal flora after birth and how environment affects composition of the flora during the first few years of life. Also to be examined is the affects infections have on immune system maturation and if protection from allergies and autoimmune disease is due to infection load or specific microbes. Although the study will take several years to conclude, it will certainly provide much needed insight to celiac disease, autoimmune disorders, and allergies.

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