Impact of Nutrition and Environmental Factors during Pregnancy and Early Life on Allergies

Dear Colleagues,

The incidence of allergy and allergy-related disorders has more than doubled in Westernized societies in recent decades. These disorders often originate in early childhood and have a substantial impact on the quality of life of those affected. Genetic background is one of the factors associated with allergic diseases, but given the rapid increase in the prevalence, environmental risk factors, such as geographic and lifestyle factors, may play a substantial role in the development of allergy. Nutrition in early life is an important modifiable lifestyle factor that influences the development of a child’s immune system. Suboptimal nutrition during pregnancy may interfere with the maturation process of the immune system from fetal life until childhood, which could increase allergic sensitization and thereby the risk of developing allergies in childhood.

There has been great interest in early-life dietary exposures in relation to allergy-related disorders, with studies focusing on breastfeeding, timing of solid food introduction, food allergen avoidance etc. The goal of this Special Issue is to provide an improved understanding of the impact of nutritional and environmental factors during pregnancy and early life on development of allergy and related disorders in childhood.

Dr. Ann-Marie Malby Schoos
Guest Editor

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