Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.
School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
Nutrients. 2022 Jul 2;14(13):2753. doi: 10.3390/nu14132753.
Infant allergy is the most common early manifestation of an increasing propensity for inflammation and immune dysregulation in modern environments. Refined low-fibre diets are a major risk for inflammatory diseases through adverse effects on the composition and function of gut microbiota. This has focused attention on the potential of prebiotic dietary fibres to favourably change gut microbiota, for local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects. In pregnancy, the immunomodulatory effects of prebiotics may also have benefits for the developing fetal immune system, and provide a potential dietary strategy to reduce the risk of allergic disease. Here, we present the study protocol for a double-blinded, randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of maternal prebiotics supplementation on child allergic disease outcomes. Eligible pregnant women have infants with a first-degree relative with a history of medically diagnosed allergic disease. Consented women are randomised to consume either prebiotics (galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides) or placebo (maltodextrin) powder daily from 18-20 weeks' gestation to six months' post-partum. The target sample size is 652 women. The primary outcome is infant medically diagnosed eczema; secondary outcomes include allergen sensitisation, food allergies and recurrent wheeze. Breast milk, stool and blood samples are collected at multiple timepoints for further analysis.
婴儿过敏是现代环境中炎症和免疫失调倾向增加的最常见早期表现。精制的低纤维饮食通过对肠道菌群的组成和功能产生不利影响，是炎症性疾病的主要危险因素。这使得人们关注膳食纤维作为益生元的潜在作用，通过对肠道菌群的有利改变，发挥局部和全身抗炎作用。在妊娠期间，益生元的免疫调节作用也可能对胎儿免疫系统的发育有益，并为减少过敏疾病的风险提供了一种潜在的饮食策略。在这里，我们提出了一项双盲、随机对照试验的研究方案，该试验旨在研究母体益生元补充对儿童过敏疾病结局的影响。符合条件的孕妇所生婴儿的一级亲属有经医学诊断的过敏病史。同意参与的女性从妊娠 18-20 周开始至产后 6 个月，每天随机服用益生元（半乳糖寡糖和果寡糖）或安慰剂（麦芽糊精）粉末。目标样本量为 652 名女性。主要结局是婴儿经医学诊断的湿疹；次要结局包括过敏原致敏、食物过敏和反复喘息。在多个时间点采集母乳、粪便和血液样本进行进一步分析。
