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Nutrition in Early Life

The vision of the Nutrition in Early Life team is to work together with the community to produce quality research, for improving our knowledge of how a mother’s diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding can improve both her and her child’s health.

Research

Associations between sun exposure, skin pH, and epidermal permeability in pregnancy: A longitudinal observational study

Little is known about how sun exposure may affect the maternal skin barrier during pregnancy when many hormonal and physiological changes occur. In this longitudinal observational study, 50 pregnant women were recruited at 18-24 weeks' gestation, 25 in summer-autumn, and 25 in winter-spring. At three time points in pregnancy at 18-24, 28-30, and 36-38 weeks' gestation, participants completed a validated sun exposure questionnaire and had skin permeability and surface pH measured on the volar forearm.

Research

Early life nutrition and the opportunity to influence long-term health: an Australasian perspective

There is significant data to support the hypothesis that early life nutrition in the fetus, infant and young child can have profound effects on long-term health

Research

Maternal dietary intake in pregnancy and lactation and allergic disease outcomes in offspring

As the prevalence of allergic disease dramatically rises worldwide, prevention strategies are increasingly being considered.

Research

Cohort Profile: The ORIGINS pregnancy and birth cohort

Desiree Doctor Jackie Susan Lisa Zenobia Silva Davis Prescott Gibson Talati MBBS, FRACP, MPH, PhD BSc (Hons) MBBS BMedSci PhD FRACP BA (Hons), MPsych

Research

Sensitizing and Th2 Adjuvant Activity of Cysteine Protease Allergens

Here, we report on a model that does not use Th2-skewing adjuvants and yet achieves sensitization solely via the nasal mucosa.

Research

Longitudinal egg-specific regulatory T- and B-cell development: Insights from primary prevention clinical trials examining the timing of egg introduction

Egg allergy affects almost 1 in 10 Australian infants. Early egg introduction has been associated with a reduced risk in developing egg allergy; however, the immune mechanisms underlying this protection remain unclear.

Research

Pre-and Postnatal Vitamin D Status and Allergy Outcomes in Early Childhood

The dramatic increase in the prevalence of allergic disease in recent decades reflects environmental and behavioural changes that have altered patterns of early immune development. The very early onset of allergic diseases points to the specific vulnerability of the developing immune system to environmental changes and the development of primary intervention strategies is crucial to address this unparalleled burden.

Research

Changes to the Gut Microbiome in Young Children Showing Early Behavioral Signs of Autism

The human gut microbiome has increasingly been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a neurological developmental disorder, characterized by impairments to social interaction.

Research

Nutritional approaches for the primary prevention of allergic disease: An update

The dramatic rise in early childhood allergic diseases indicates the specific vulnerability of the immune system to early life environmental changes.