Keywords:
Allergic disease; early childhood; environmental factors; immunomodulatory functions; infancy; non-communicable disease; pregnancy; vitamin D; observational trials; randomized controlled trials
Abstract:
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.