Irish researchers showed that infants raised during the period when social distancing measures against the coronavirus were in place had more of the advantageous microorganisms that their mothers had given them after birth, which may serve as a defense against illness.
Scientists surmise that as a result, compared to pre-COVID newborns, “pandemic babies” had lower than anticipated prevalence of allergy disorders, including food allergies.
The results, which were published in the journal Allergy, emphasized the advantages of the COVID-19 lockdowns for the children’s gut health, including longer nursing periods and decreased infection rates and the resulting need of antibiotics.
The microbiome, or ecology of naturally occurring bacteria in the gut, is crucial to maintaining human health.
Comparing the faecal samples from 351 newborns born in the first three months of the pandemic with a pre-pandemic group, the researchers examined the samples.
The study employed online questionnaires to gather data on health, home environment, and food.
