Susan Prescott

COCOON: Virus transmission, immunity, and family wellbeing during COVID-19

ORIGINS community wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kindy Readiness Project

Mums Minds Matter

Vulnerable from the first breath - epithelial dysfunction and respiratory outcomes in children

Water Quality and the Microbiome Study (TUMS): The effects of chlorinated drinking water on the assembly of the infant gut microbiome

The PrEggNut Study – Maternal diet rich in eggs and peanuts to reduce food allergies: a randomised controlled trial

The PLAN Project (Pregnancy Lifestyle Activity and Nutrition)

The Cardiovascular Risk Evaluation in Expectant Fathers (CARE-Dads) Study

TALK (Testosterone and Language in Kids) Study

Early Moves

The Early Moves study is investigating whether a baby’s early movements can predict difficulties with learning (known as cognitive impairment) later in childhood.

The CASHEW Study - Introducing Cashew Nuts During Infancy

BENEFIT - Breastfeeding and Eating Nuts and Eggs For Infant Tolerance Trial

Newborn Nasal Sampling Evaluation (NOSE) Study

ARIEL study

The SYMBA Study - Promoting Gut Health (SYMBiosis) for Allergy prevention

OPTIMUM: OPTimising IMmunisation Using Mixed schedules

Targeting the mucosal immune system in a mouse model to prevent pregnancy complications following maternal bacterial infection

This work is the first step to develop safe treatments for pregnant mums to protect against preterm delivery and low birth weight caused by maternal infections.

Cohort Profile: The ORIGINS pregnancy and birth cohort

Macronutrients in Human Milk and Early Childhood Growth—Is Protein the Main Driver?

Infant growth trajectories reflect current health status and may predict future obesity and metabolic diseases. Human milk is tailored to support optimal infant growth. However, nutrient intake rather than milk composition more accurately predicts growth outcomes. Although the role of protein leverage in infant growth is unclear, protein intake is important for early infancy growth.

Data resource profile: the ORIGINS project databank: a collaborative data resource for investigating the developmental origins of health and disease

The ORIGINS Project (“ORIGINS”) is a longitudinal, population-level birth cohort with data and biosample collections that aim to facilitate research to reduce non-communicable diseases and encourage ‘a healthy start to life’. ORIGINS has gathered millions of datapoints and over 400,000 biosamples over 15 timepoints, antenatally through to five years of age, from mothers, non-birthing partners and the child, across four health and wellness domains.

Effects of pregnancy and lactation prebiotics supplementation on infant allergic disease: A randomized controlled trial

Ingestion of prebiotics during pregnancy and lactation may have immunomodulatory benefits for the developing fetal and infant immune system and provide a potential dietary strategy to reduce the risk of allergic diseases. We sought to determine whether maternal supplementation with dietary prebiotics reduces the risk of allergic outcomes in infants with hereditary risk.

Impaired calcium influx underlies skewed T helper cell differentiation in children with IgE-mediated food allergies

Reasons for Th2 skewing in IgE-mediated food allergies remains unclear. Clinical observations suggest impaired T cell activation may drive Th2 responses evidenced by increased atopic manifestations in liver transplant patients on tacrolimus (a calcineurin inhibitor). We aimed to assess differentiation potential, T cell activation and calcium influx of naïve CD4+ T cells in children with IgE-mediated food allergies. 

Nature Connection: Providing a Pathway from Personal to Planetary Health

The vast and growing challenges for human health and all life on Earth require urgent and deep structural changes to the way in which we live. Broken relationships with nature are at the core of both the modern health crisis and the erosion of planetary health. A declining connection to nature has been implicated in the exploitative attitudes that underpin the degradation of both physical and social environments and almost all aspects of personal physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Maternal prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy and lactation modifies the microbiome and short chain fatty acid profile of both mother and infant

Improving maternal gut health in pregnancy and lactation is a potential strategy to improve immune and metabolic health in offspring and curtail the rising rates of inflammatory diseases linked to alterations in gut microbiota. Here, we investigate the effects of a maternal prebiotic supplement (galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides), ingested daily from <21 weeks' gestation to six months' post-partum, in a double-blinded, randomised placebo-controlled trial. 

Nutritional Criminology: Why the Emerging Research on Ultra-Processed Food Matters to Health and Justice

There is mounting concern over the potential harms associated with ultra-processed foods, including poor mental health and antisocial behavior. Cutting-edge research provides an enhanced understanding of biophysiological mechanisms, including microbiome pathways, and invites a historical reexamination of earlier work that investigated the relationship between nutrition and criminal behavior. Here, in this perspective article, we explore how this emergent research casts new light and greater significance on previous key observations.

Metagenomic Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome and Effect of Complementary Feeding on Bifidobacterium spp. in Australian Infants

Complementary feeding induces dramatic ecological shifts in the infant gut microbiota toward more diverse compositions and functional metabolic capacities, with potential implications for immune and metabolic health. The aim of this study was to examine whether the age at which solid foods are introduced differentially affects the microbiota in predominantly breastfed infants compared with predominantly formula-fed infants. 

Egg-sensitised infants have elevated CD4+ effector memory T regulatory cells from birth

IgE-mediated sensitisation to egg is common in infants. In some cases, the processes leading to egg sensitisation are established in early life, even before introduction to solid foods. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. 

“Food faddists and pseudoscientists!”: Reflections on the history of resistance to ultra-processed foods

The term 'ultra-processed food' emerged in the 1980s, mostly used in reference to highly-processed convenience foods and snacks, often energy-dense, poor in nutrients, and inclusive of various synthetic additives such as emulsifiers, colors, artificial sweeteners, and/or flavor enhancers.

Beyond Plants: The Ultra-Processing of Global Diets Is Harming the Health of People, Places, and Planet

Global food systems are a central issue for personal and planetary health in the Anthropocene. One aspect of major concern is the dramatic global spread of ultra-processed convenience foods in the last 75 years, which is linked with the rising human burden of disease and growing sustainability and environmental health challenges.

Increasing emergency department visits for anaphylaxis in very early childhood: A canary in the coal mine

The incidence of anaphylaxis is increasing globally in tandem with changing environmental and lifestyle factors. There is very limited data on very early childhood presentations. We aim to assess changes in rates, characteristics and management of infant anaphylaxis in a paediatric ED over a 15-year period.

The ORIGINS Project Biobank: A Collaborative Bio Resource for Investigating the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

Early onset Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including obesity, allergies, and mental ill-health in childhood, present a serious and increasing threat to lifelong health and longevity. The ORIGINS Project (ORIGINS) addresses the urgent need for multidisciplinary efforts to understand the detrimental multisystem impacts of modern environments using well-curated large-scale longitudinal biological sample collections.

Time-out for well-being: A mixed methods evaluation of attitudes and likelihood to engage in different types of online emotional well-being programmes in the perinatal period

Positive maternal mental health during the perinatal period contributes to general well-being and positive emotional bonds with the child, encouraging an optimal developmental trajectory. Online interventions to enhance maternal well-being and develop coping skills, such as meditation-based interventions, can be a low-cost way to improve mother and child outcomes.

Feasibility and safety of introducing cashew nut spread in infant diets-A randomized trial

To reduce peanut allergy prevalence, infant feeding guidelines now recommend introducing peanuts in an age-appropriate form (such as peanut butter) as part of complementary feeding. However, due to a lack of randomized trial evidence, most infant feeding and food allergy prevention guidelines do not include tree nuts. The aims of this trial were to determine safety and feasibility of dosage consumption recommendations for infant cashew nut spread introduction.

PKC activation promotes maturation of cord blood T cells towards a Th1 IFN-γ propensity

A significant number of babies present transiently with low protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ) levels in cord blood T cells, associated with reduced ability to transition from a neonatal Th2 to a mature Th1 cytokine bias, leading to a higher risk of developing allergic sensitisation, compared to neonates whose T cells have 'normal' PKCζ levels. However, the importance of PKCζ signalling in regulating their differentiation from a Th2 to a Th1 cytokine phenotype propensity remains undefined.

The Founder - Dispositional Greed, Showbiz, and the Commercial Determinants of Health

Marketing unhealthy products by multinational corporations has caused considerable harm to individual health, collective wellbeing, and environmental sustainability. This is a growing threat to all societies and a significant contributor to the rising global burden of non-communicable diseases and early mortality.

Vitality Revisited: The Evolving Concept of Flourishing and Its Relevance to Personal and Public Health

Human flourishing, the state of optimal functioning and well-being across all aspects of an individual's life, has been a topic of philosophical and theological discussion for centuries. In the mid-20th century, social psychologists and health scientists began exploring the concept of flourishing in the context of health and high-level wellness.

No Health without Mental Health: Taking Action to Heal a World in Distress—With People, Places, and Planet ‘in Mind’

The unprecedented global rise in mental anguish is closely linked with the erosion of our social fabric, economic and political systems, and to our natural environments. We are facing multiple new large-scale threats to health, safety, and security, with a growing lack of trust in others and in authorities.

Planetary Health: We Need to Talk about Narcissism

Concepts of planetary health attempt to collectively address the biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors contributing to “Anthropocene Syndrome”, which encompasses the many wicked interrelated challenges of our time. It is increasingly evident that the wide array of causative factors is underpinned by attitudes, values, and worldviews.

Epigenomic variability is associated with age-specific naïve CD4 T cell response to activation in infants and adolescents

Childhood is a critical period of immune development. During this time, naïve CD4 T cells undergo programmed cell differentiation, mediated by epigenetic changes, in response to external stimuli leading to a baseline homeostatic state that may determine lifelong disease risk. However, the ontogeny of epigenetic signatures associated with CD4 T cell activation during key developmental periods are yet to be described.

Associations between the human immune system and gut microbiome with neurodevelopment in the first 5 years of life: A systematic scoping review

The aim of this review was to map the literature assessing associations between maternal or infant immune or gut microbiome biomarkers and child neurodevelopmental outcomes within the first 5 years of life. We conducted a PRISMA-ScR compliant review of peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles.

Understanding Engagement in Digital Mental Health and Well-being Programs for Women in the Perinatal Period: Systematic Review Without Meta-analysis

Pregnancy and the postnatal period can be a time of increased psychological distress, which can be detrimental to both the mother and the developing child. Digital interventions are cost-effective and accessible tools to support positive mental health in women during the perinatal period.

Exiting the Anthropocene: Achieving personal and planetary health in the 21st century

Planetary health provides a perspective of ecological interdependence that connects the health and vitality of individuals, communities, and Earth's natural systems. It includes the social, political, and economic ecosystems that influence both individuals and whole societies.

Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of Maternal Prebiotic Fibre Dietary Supplementation from Mid-Pregnancy to Six Months’ Post-Partum on Child Allergic Disease Outcomes

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.

PrEggNut Study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of a maternal diet rich in eggs and peanuts from <23 weeks' gestation during pregnancy to 4 months' lactation on infant IgE-mediated egg and peanut allergy outcomes

Clinical studies supported by immunological data indicate early life intervention strategies to be promising in reducing the growing global burden of food allergies. The events that predispose to food allergy, including the induction of allergen-specific immune responses, appear to be initiated early in development.

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.

Health-related behaviours and weight status of expectant fathers

Little attention has been given to the health status and lifestyle behaviours of expectant fathers. This study aimed to examine health-related variables in a cohort of expectant fathers to identify potential focus areas for interventions designed to optimise health and wellbeing outcomes in this group.

Anti-Müllerian hormone concentration is associated with central adiposity and reproductive hormones in expectant fathers

The role of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) as an indicator of physical and reproductive health in men is unclear. We assessed the relationships between AMH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and metabolic parameters, in a cohort of expectant fathers.

Wise Ancestors, Good Ancestors: Why Mindfulness Matters in the Promotion of Planetary Health

The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place, and planet. It emphasizes the interconnected grand challenges of our time, and underscores the need for integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Here, in our Viewpoint article, we revisit vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk’s contention that wisdom is central to the concept of planetary health.

Healing Anthropocene Syndrome: Planetary Health Requires Remediation of the Toxic Post-Truth Environment

The term “Anthropocene Syndrome” describes the wicked interrelated challenges of our time. We expand the discourse on positive social contagion and argue that empowerment through education can help lead to an information transformation with the aim of flourishing along every link in the person, place and planet continuum.

Catalyst Twenty-Twenty: Post-Traumatic Growth at Scales of Person, Place and Planet

Planetary health is a broad multidisciplinary effort that attempts to address what has been described as “Anthropocene Syndrome”—the wicked, interrelated challenges of our time. These include, but are not limited to, grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, social injustices, erosion of wisdom and civility, together with the many structural underpinnings of these grand challenges.

Circulating Epithelial Cell Cytokines Are Associated With Early-Onset Atopic Dermatitis

Probiotic peanut oral immunotherapy versus oral immunotherapy and placebo in children with peanut allergy in Australia (PPOIT-003): a multicentre, randomised, phase 2b trial

Oral immunotherapy is effective at inducing desensitisation to allergens and induces sustained unresponsiveness (ie, clinical remission) in a subset of patients, but causes frequent reactions. We aimed to investigate whether addition of a probiotic adjuvant improved the efficacy or safety of peanut oral immunotherapy.

Earth dreams: Reimagining ARPA for health of people, places and planet

Bold new approaches are urgently needed to overcome global health challenges. The proposed Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is intended to provide rapid health breakthroughs.

Characterization of the transient deficiency of pkc isozyme levels in immature cord blood t cells and its connection to anti‐allergic cytokine profiles of the matured cells

Cord blood T cells (CBTC) from a proportion of newborns express low/deficient levels of some protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, with low levels of PKCζ correlating with increased risk of developing allergy and associated decrease in interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) producing T cells.

Project earthrise: Proceedings of the ninth annual conference of in vivo planetary health

The “Earthrise” photograph, taken on the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, became one of the most significant images of the 20th Century. It triggered a profound shift in environmental awareness and the potential for human unity—inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970. Taking inspiration from these events 50 years later, we initiated Project Earthrise at our 2020 annual conference of inVIVO Planetary Health.

Prevention of Mental Health Difficulties for Children Aged 0–3 Years: A Review

The period of infancy and early childhood is a critical time for interventions to prevent future mental health problems. The first signs of mental health difficulties can be manifest in infancy, emphasizing the importance of understanding and identifying both protective and risk factors in pregnancy and the early postnatal period.

Comparison of experiences in two birth cohorts comprising young families with children under four years during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in Australia and the UK: A qualitative study

This study aims to understand the experience and impact of the initial COVID-19 lock-down in young families with children aged below 4 years. Free text questions were administered to participants in the ORIGINS (Australia) and Born in Bradford (UK) cohort studies to collect qualitative information on worries, concerns and enjoyable experiences during the pandemic.

A world of inflammation: the need for ecological solutions that co-benefit people, place and planet

The ecology of the early environment - including microbial diversity, nutrition, nature, social interactions and the totality of exposures in the wider "exposome" - have life-long implications for all aspects of health and resilience. In particular, the emergence of "microbiome science" provides new evidence for vital relationships between biodiversity and health at every level.

Can positive mindsets be protective against stress and isolation experienced during the covid-19 pandemic? A mixed methods approach to understanding emotional health and wellbeing needs of perinatal women

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between emotional health and wellbeing and support needs of perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand their experiences and need for support. This is a potentially vulnerable group and a critical developmental phase for women and infants.

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD): The importance of life-course and transgenerational approaches

With well-established evidence that early life conditions have a profound influence on lifespan and health-span, new interventional birth cohorts are examining ways to optimise health potential of individuals and communities. These are aimed at going beyond preventing disease, to the conditions that facilitate flourishing from an early age.

Maternal Late-Pregnancy Serum Unmetabolized Folic Acid Concentrations Are Not Associated with Infant Allergic Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study

The increase in childhood allergic disease in recent decades has coincided with increased folic acid intakes during pregnancy. Circulating unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) has been proposed as a biomarker of excessive folic acid intake. We aimed to determine if late-pregnancy serum UMFA and total folate concentrations were associated with allergic disease risk in the offspring at 1 y of age in a population at high risk of allergy.

The influence of sunlight exposure and sun protecting behaviours on allergic outcomes in early childhood

The dramatic rise in allergic disease has occurred in tandem with recent environmental changes and increasing indoor lifestyle culture. While multifactorial, one consistent allergy risk factor has been reduced sunlight exposure. However, vitamin D supplementation studies have been disappointing in preventing allergy, raising possible independent effects of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.

Cord blood t cells expressing high and low pkcζ levels develop into cells with a propensity to display th1 and th9 cytokine profiles, respectively

ow Protein Kinase C zeta (PKCζ) levels in cord blood T cells (CBTC) have been shown to correlate with the development of allergic sensitization in childhood. However, little is known about the mechanisms responsible. We have examined the relationship between the expression of different levels of PKCζ in CBTC and their development into mature T cell cytokine producers that relate to allergy or anti‐allergy promoting cells.

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.

The Milk Metabolome of Non-secretor and Lewis Negative Mothers

The functional role of milk for the developing neonate is an area of great interest, and a significant amount of research has been done. However, a lot of work remains to fully understand the complexities of milk, and the variations imposed through genetics. It has previously been shown that both secretor (Se) and Lewis blood type (Le) status impacts the human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) content of human milk. While some studies have compared the non-HMO milk metabolome of Se+ and Se- women, none have reported on the non-HMO milk metabolome of Se- and Le- mothers.

Circulating Epithelial Cell Cytokines Are Associated With Early-Onset Atopic Dermatitis

Lower Cord Blood IL-17 and IL-25, but Not Other Epithelial Cell-Derived Cytokines Are Associated with Atopic Dermatitis in Infancy

There is a growing need for early biomarkers that may predict the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). As alterations in skin barrier may be a primary event in disease pathogenesis, epithelial cell (EC) cytokines expression patterns may be a potential biomarker in early life to target allergy preventive strategies towards "at-risk" infants. The aim of this longitudinal investigation was to examine from birth over the course of infancy levels of the EC cytokines: thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-33, IL-25, and IL-17 in infants at high-risk of AD due to maternal atopy.

Comparing Web-Based Mindfulness With Loving-Kindness and Compassion Training for Promoting Well-Being in Pregnancy: Protocol for a Three-Arm Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Promoting psychological well-being and preventing distress among pregnant women is an important public health goal. In addition to adversely impacting the mother's health and well-being, psychological distress in pregnancy increases the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, compromises infant socioemotional development and bonding, and heightens maternal and child vulnerability in the postpartum period. Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions show potential for prevention and early intervention for perinatal distress.

Study protocol of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy

Peanut allergy is the the most common cause of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. There is currently no effective long-term treatment. There is a pressing need for definitive treatments that improve the quality of life and prevent fatalities. Allergen oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a promising approach, which is effective at inducing desensitisation; however, OIT has a limited ability to induce sustained unresponsiveness (SU).

Study protocol of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy in inducing desensitisation or tolerance in children with peanut allergy compared with oral immunotherapy

Peanut allergy is the the most common cause of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. There is currently no effective long-term treatment. There is a pressing need for definitive treatments that improve the quality of life and prevent fatalities.

Introducing the ORIGINS project: a community-based interventional birth cohort

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose the greatest threat to human health globally. The dramatic rise in early onset NCDs - such as childhood obesity, the allergy epidemic and an increasing burden of mental ill health in children and youth - reflect the profound early impact of modern environments on developing systems.

Pediatric Burn Survivors Have Long-Term Immune Dysfunction With Diminished Vaccine Response

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that survivors of acute burn trauma are at long-term increased risk of developing a range of morbidities. The mechanisms underlying this increased risk remain unknown. This study aimed to determine whether burn injury leads to sustained immune dysfunction that may underpin long-term morbidity. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 36 pediatric burn survivors >3 years after a non-severe burn injury (<10% total body surface area) and from age/sex-matched non-injured controls.

In “high-risk” infants with sufficient vitamin d status at birth, infant vitamin D supplementation had no effect on allergy outcomes: A randomized controlled trial

Early infancy oral vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce the development of early childhood allergic disease

Ovalbumin in breast milk is associated with a decreased risk of IgE-mediated egg allergy in children

Showed for the first time that the presence of an egg-derived allergen in breast milk is associated with a reduced risk of egg allergy in children at 2.5 years of age

A role for early oral exposure to house dust mite allergens through breast milk in IgE-mediated food allergy susceptibility

This study highlights an unpredicted potential risk factor for the development of food allergy, that is, D pteronyssinus allergens in breast milk

Spaceship earth revisited: The co‐benefits of overcoming biological extinction of experience at the level of person, place and planet

This commentary focuses the ways in which microbes, as an essential part of all ecosystems, provide a vital link between personal and planetary systems

Feasibility of conducting an early pregnancy diet and lifestyle e-health intervention: The Pregnancy Lifestyle Activity Nutrition (PLAN) project

A lifestyle intervention starting in the first-trimester pregnancy utilising e-health mode of delivery is feasible

Analytical bias in the measurement of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in infants

To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that the reported 25(OH)D concentration may be influenced by both age and assay type

Prebiotics: mechanisms and preventive effects in allergy

In this review, we describe both the mechanisms and the therapeutic evidence from preclinical and clinical studies exploring the role of prebiotics in allergy prevention

Maternal Fiber Dietary Intakes during Pregnancy and Infant Allergic Disease

Maternal resistant starch consumption was differentially associated with infant phenotypes, with reduced risk of infant wheeze, but increased risk of eczema

High-Rise Apartments and Urban Mental Health—Historical and Contemporary Views

High-rise apartment buildings have long been associated with the poor mental health of their residents

Golden Age of Medicine 2.0: Lifestyle Medicine and Planetary Health Prioritized

We emphasize that barriers to planetary health and the clinical application of lifestyle medicine are maintaining an unhealthy status quo

Validation of monoclonal anti-PKC isozyme antibodies for flow cytometry analyses in human T cell subsets and expression in cord blood T cells

We have undertaken to validating the specificity of commercially available antibodies marketed for flow cytometry to measure PKCα, βI, βII, δ, ε, η, θ, ζ, ι/λ and μ

Impact of Micronutrient Status during Pregnancy on Early Nutrition Programming

Globally and even in high-income countries where a balanced diet is generally accessible, an inadequate maternal micronutrient status is common

Vitamin and mineral supplements: Gut health and probiotics: Probiotics for a healthy microbiome: An evidence-based approach to appropriate product choice

This review discusses the available evidence base to help provide practical guidance when considering probiotics in practice

Effect of Epicutaneous Immunotherapy vs Placebo on Reaction to Peanut Protein Ingestion Among Children With Peanut Allergy: The PEPITES Randomized Clinical Trial

To assess the efficacy and adverse events of epicutaneous immunotherapy with a peanut patch among peanut-allergic children

Direct infant UV light exposure is associated with eczema and immune development

This study is the first to demonstrate an association between greater direct UV light exposures in early infancy with lower incidence of eczema

Planetary Health: From the Wellspring of Holistic Medicine to Personal and Public Health Imperative

Here, we explore the history of planetary health and describe its relevance to contemporary healthcare

Narrative Medicine Meets Planetary Health: Mindsets Matter in the Anthropocene

We argue that the principles and practice of narrative medicine can be applied on a larger scale, one with planetary health in mind

Clinical Ecology-Transforming 21st-Century Medicine with Planetary Health in Mind

The grand, interconnected challenges of our time demands that all of medicine be viewed from an ecological perspective

Preventive medicine for person, place, and planet: Revisiting the concept of high-level wellness in the planetary health paradigm

Here, we discuss the relevance of planetary health in the era of personalized medicine, gross environmental concerns, and a crisis of non-communicable diseases

The ORIGINS Project

ORIGINS is a new birth cohort study, collecting detailed information about the early environment's influence on a broad range of non-communicable diseases

Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles?

Supplementation with fish oil may only significantly increase DHA in minor allele carriers of FADS1 SNPs

Early life innate immune signatures of persistent food allergy

Early life innate immune dysfunction may represent a key immunological driver and predictor of persistent food allergy in childhood

Increased Use of Adrenaline in the Management of Childhood Anaphylaxis Over the Last Decade

There was a significant improvement in the management of anaphylaxis after the introduction of intensified physician training programs

Seventh Annual Conference of inVIVO Planetary Health on Transforming Life: Unify Personal, Public, and Planetary Health

Here we present the collection of abstracts of invited lectures and oral communications presented during the 7th inVIVO Planetary Health Conference

Worldwide variation in human milk metabolome: Indicators of breast physiology and maternal lifestyle?

This study investigates the variation of human milk metabolites in human milk between five different countries

The Canmore Declaration: Statement of Principles for Planetary Health

We provide the Canmore Declaration, a Statement of Principles for Planetary Health

Cardiometabolic risk factors at 5 years after omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in infancy

Supplementation with n-3 LCPUFA in infancy revealed a reduction in waist circumference at 5 years

The importance of the exposome and allostatic load in the planetary health paradigm

The concept of planetary health emphasizes that human health is intricately connected to the health of natural systems within the Earth's biosphere

Histone modifications and their role in epigenetics of atopy and allergic diseases

This review covers basic aspects of histone modification and the role of posttranslational histone modifications in the development of allergic diseases

Dysbiotic drift and biopsychosocial medicine: how the microbiome links personal, public and planetary health

Here we focus on the rapidly progressing microbiome science as a way to illustrate the pathways by which exposure to biodiversity supports health

Larger Than Life: Injecting Hope into the Planetary Health Paradigm

We argue that the success of planetary health solutions is predicated on a more sophisticated understanding of the psychology of prevention and intervention at all scales

From Authoritarianism to Advocacy: Lifestyle-Driven, Socially-Transmitted Conditions Require a Transformation in Medical Training and Practice

Here, we open a dialogue on authoritarianism in westernized medicine as a starting point in order to encourage the development of critical research

Taking a prebiotic approach to early immunomodulation for allergy prevention

In this review we examine maternal and infant dietary sources of prebiotics with a particular focus on non-digestible oligosaccharides, which undergo SCFA.

Effects of prenatal n-3 fatty acid supplementation on offspring resolvins at birth and 12 years of age: a double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial

This study aimed to assess the effect of n-3 fatty acid supplementation in pregnancy on offspring SPM at birth and 12 years of age (12 years)

An Australian Consensus on Infant Feeding Guidelines to Prevent Food Allergy: Outcomes From the Australian Infant Feeding Summit

Infant feeding in the first postnatal year of life has an important role in an infant's risk of developing food allergy

Each meal matters in the exposome: Biological and community considerations in fast-food-socioeconomic associations

As we discuss, equal weekly visits to major fast-food outlets by the affluent and deprived do not translate into biological equivalency.

Bugging allergy; role of pre-, pro- and synbiotics in allergy prevention

Here, we summarize and discuss findings of randomized clinical trials that have examined the effects of these strategies on short and long-term.

Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles? An exploratory study

Overall results of this preliminary study suggest that supplementation with fish oil may only significantly increase DHA in minor allele carriers of FADS1 SNPs. Further research is required to confirm this novel finding.

Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics

In December 2016, a panel of experts was convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics an Prebiotics to review the scope of prebiotic.

Astrofood, Priorities and Pandemics: Reflections of an Ultra-Processed Breakfast Program and Contemporary Dysbiotic Drift

The United Nation, recognizing the importance of nutrition as a part of the challenges faced by humanity, and declared 2016-2025 the decade of nutrition.

Down to Earth: Planetary Health and Biophilosophy in the Symbiocene Epoch

Advances in science have illuminated the role of the “ecological theatre”—the total living environment—in human health

Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics

Consistent with the original model of prebiotics, but aware of the latest scientific and clinical developments, the panel updated the definition of a prebiotics

Planning ahead: the mental health value of natural environments

Over the past decade, a growing number of studies have linked urban green space and aspects of biodiversity with emotional wellbeing.

Early introduction of food reduces food allergy – Pro and Con

When an infant is developmentally ready, a variety of nutritious foods should be introduced including the ‘more allergenic’ foods during infancy

Protection against maternal infection-associated fetal growth restriction: Proof-of-concept with a microbial-derived immunomodulator

This study suggests that broad-spectrum protection-of-pregnancy against infection-associated inflammatory stress represents an achievable therapeutic goal

Randomized controlled trial of early regular egg intake to prevent egg allergy

determining if regular consumption of egg protein from age 4 to 6 months reduces the risk of IgE mediated allergy in infants with genetic risk, without eczema.

Physician training programs significantly improve diagnosis in cases coded as anaphylaxis over time: A major factor compounding time-trend data?

Recent studies based on hospital admissions have reported a significant increase in anaphylaxis prevalence.

Randomized controlled trial of early regular egg intake to prevent egg allergy

We aimed to determine whether regular consumption of egg protein from 4-6 month old reduced the risk of IgE-mediated egg allergy in infants without eczema.

Association Between Family Characteristics and the Effect of Timing of Regular Egg Introduction in Infant Egg Allergy

A recent systematic review of 5 randomized clinical trials, found that early egg introduction was associated with reduced egg allergy.

Physician training programs significantly improve diagnosis in cases coded as anaphylaxis over time: A major factor compounding time-trend data?

We conducted an investigation of all cases coded as anaphylaxis presenting to the main tertiary PED in Perth, Australia, where all coding is performed by staff.

Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease amongst infants, and continues to cause annual epidemics of respiratory disease every winter worldwide.

Food Challenge and Community-Reported Reaction Profiles in Food-Allergic Children Aged 1 and 4 Years: A Population-Based Study.

This publication compares reaction profiles from food challenges and parent-reported reactions on accidental ingestion, and assess predictors of severe reactions.

The role of PKCzeta in cord blood T-cell maturation towards Th1 cytokine profile and its epigenetic regulation by fish oil

Here, we present evidence that there are two major control points to explain the immunodeficiency in CB T-cells, leading to a decreased IFNy synthesis.

Influence of maternal obesity on the long-term health of offspring

Increasing evidence implicates maternal obesity as a major determinant of offspring health during childhood and later adult life

Influence of maternal obesity on the long-term health of offspring

Including immediate implications for pregnancy complications, increasing evidence implicates maternal obesity having a major impact on long term child health.

The Secret Life of Your Microbiome: Why Nature and Biodiversity are Essential to Health and Happiness

The Secret Life of Your Microbiome shatters this deeply held myth, presenting a revolutionary new paradigm, backed by vast science

Effects of maternal dietary egg intake during early lactation on human milk ovalbumin concentration: A randomized controlled trial

Increased maternal egg ingestion is associated with increased breastmilk ovalbumin, and markers of immune tolerance in infants

Dysregulation of innate immunity in ulcerative colitis patients who fail anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy

Study the innate immune function in ulcerative colitis patients who fail to respond to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy

Transforming Life: A Broad View of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Concept from an Ecological Justice Perspective

With emerging research involving green space, the microbiome, biodiversity and positive psychology, we discuss ecological justice in the dysbiosphere

The establishment of DOHaD working groups in Australia and New Zealand

This report introduces the DOHaD ANZ Working Groups and summarizes their plans and activities

Prenatal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation does not affect offspring telomere length and F2-isoprostanes at 12 years: A double blind, randomized controlled trial

Maternal n-3 LCPUFA supplementation did not provide sustained effects on postnatal oxidative stress and telomere length as observed in the offspring

Consensus of stakeholders on precautionary allergen labelling: A report from the Centre for Food and Allergy Research

Precautionary allergen labelling is the main tool available to indicate safety levels for food-allergic consumers with regard to potential allergens

Probiotics for treatment and primary prevention of allergic diseases and asthma: looking back and moving forward

Review treatment and primary prevention studies, recent meta-analyses, and discuss the current understanding of the role of probiotics in this context

The Microbiome and Mental Health: Looking Back, Moving Forward with Lessons from Allergic Diseases

The microbiome is intimately connected to diet, nutrition, and other lifestyle variables

Early Nutrition as a Major Determinant of 'Immune Health': Implications for Allergy, Obesity and Other Noncommunicable Diseases

A better understanding of nutritional programming of immune health may lead to dietary strategies that reduce the burden of many inflammatory diseases

Immune-Microbiota Interactions: Dysbiosis as a Global Health Issue

The implications of the microbiome extend to virtually every branch of medicine, biopsychosocial and environmental sciences

Natural environments, nature relatedness and the ecological theater: connecting satellites and sequencing to shinrin-yoku

Mechanisms-including aerobiological and epigenetic-that might help explain some of the noted positive health outcomes

Epigenetic modifications: Mechanisms of disease and biomarkers of food allergy

The rise in IgE-mediated food allergy in recent times is the likely result of gene-environment interactions mediated via epigenetic pathways.

World Allergy Organization-McMaster University Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention (GLAD-P): Prebiotics

Develop evidence-based recommendations about the use of prebiotics in the prevention of allergy

25-hydroxyvitamin D status of pregnant women is associated with the use of antenatal vitamin supplements and ambient ultraviolet radiation

Vitamin D deficiency in a predominantly white Caucasian cohort of pregnant women is less prevalent than has been reported in other studies

Elevated IL-5 and IL-13 responses to egg proteins predate the introduction of egg in solid foods in infants with eczema

Elevated egg-specific Th2 cytokine responses were established prior to egg ingestion at 4months and were not significantly altered by introduction of egg

World Allergy Organization-McMaster University Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention (GLAD-P): Vitamin D

Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of the immune system and it may play a role in the development, severity and course of asthma and other allergic...

Biodiversity, the Human Microbiome and Mental Health: Moving toward a New Clinical Ecology for the 21st Century?

With a focus on the microbiome as it pertains to mental health, we define environmental “grey space” and emphasize a new frontier involving bio-eco-psychological medicine

The gut microbiota and inflammatory noncommunicable diseases: Associations and potentials for gut microbiota therapies

This article discusses the relationships between gut colonization & inflammatory noncommunicable diseases, in regards to their treatment and prevention.

In-utero exposures and the evolving epidemiology of paediatric allergy

This paper discusses the rising prevalence of allergic disease in children. This review article considers recent findings in the field of paediatric immune...

Consensus communication on early peanut introduction and the prevention of peanut allergy in high-risk infants

The purpose of this article is to highlight emerging evidence for existing allergy prevention guidelines regarding potential benefits of supporting early...

Mechanisms of allergic disease - environmental and genetic determinants for the development of allergy

Environmental exposures including maternal inflammation, diet, nutrient balance, microbial colonization and toxin exposures can directly and indirectly...

Gut microbiome and innate immune response patterns in IgE-associated eczema

Gut microbiome patterns have been associated with predisposition to eczema potentially through modulation of innate immune signalling.

Food for thought: progress in understanding the causes and mechanisms of food allergy

Treatments for food allergy are still lacking, yet progress is being made, and immunotherapy appears more effective than dietary avoidance.

Assessment of cardiometabolic risk in children in population studies: underpinning developmental origins of health and disease mother–offspring cohort studies

Pregnancy and birth cohorts have been utilised extensively to investigate the developmental origins of health and disease, particularly in relation to...

Maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy: a 12 year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial.

We aimed to investigate the long-term effects (12 years) of fish oil supplementation in pregnancy on neurodevelopment, including cognition, language and fine...

World Allergy Organization-McMaster University Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention (GLAD-P): Probiotics

Prevalence of allergic diseases in infants, whose parents and siblings do not have allergy, is approximately 10% and reaches 20-30% in those with an allergic...

Cohort profile of the HealthNuts study: Population prevalence and environmental/genetic predictors of food allergy

HealthNuts is a single-centre, multi-wave, population-based longitudinal study designed to assess prevalence, determinants, natural history and allergy...

Blood DNA methylation biomarkers predict clinical reactivity in food-sensitized infants

The diagnosis of food allergy (FA) can be challenging because approximately half of food-sensitized patients are asymptomatic.

Effects of maternal n-3 fatty acid supplementation on placental cytokines, pro-resolving lipid mediators and their precursors

The aim of this study was to determine whether supplementation with fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA during pregnancy modifies modifies placental PUFA composition...

Developing primary intervention strategies to prevent allergic disease

Allergic diseases are a major cause of morbidity in the developed world, now affecting up to 40 % of the population with no evidence that this is abating.

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.

Prevention and Natural History of Food Allergy

The rise in food allergy is more rapid than genetic deviation would allow and the current consensus is that environmental factors integrally linked to the...

The maturation of immune functions in pregnancy and early childhood

This book chapter explains the maturation of immune functions during pregnancy & in early childhood, and addresses the importance of early environmental...

In utero and postnatal vitamin D exposure and allergy risk

This review article examines the evidence of the impact of in utero and postnatal vitamin D exposure on allergy risk in childhood

Hot topics in paediatric immunology: IgE-mediated food allergy and allergic rhinitis

This article focuses on IgE-mediated food allergies and allergic rhinitis, the most commonly seen conditions in paediatric immunology.

Nutritional Influences on Epigenetic Programming. Asthma, Allergy, and Obesity

Reliance on increasing use of dietary supplementation and fortification (eg, with folate) to compensate for increased consumption of processed foods is also...

EAACI food allergy and anaphylaxis guidelines: diagnosis and management of food allergy

Food allergy can have significant effects on morbidity and quality of life and can be costly in terms of medical visits and treatments.

Epigenome-wide association study reveals longitudinally stable DNA methylation differences in CD4+ T cells from children with IgE-mediated food allergy

Food allergy is mediated by a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors, potentially mediated by epigenetic mechanisms.

Epigenetics in immune development and in allergic and autoimmune diseases

This paper is a review about the importance of alterations to the DNA molecule, rather than the DNA sequence, in the development of the immune system, and...

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling identifies a folate-sensitive region of differential methylation upstream of ZFP57-imprinting regulator in humans

This study identified that expsoure to folate has effects on the regulation of DNA methylation during fetal development.

Disease prevention in the age of convergence - The need for a wider, long ranging and collaborative vision

Our global health crisis and the pandemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is clearly rooted in complex modern societal and environmental changes, many of...

Respiratory allergen from house dust mite is present in human milk and primes for allergic sensitization in a mouse model of asthma

These data highlight that antigen administration to the neonate through the oral route may contribute to child allergic sensitization and have important...

25-hydroxyvitamin D3 status is associated with developing adaptive and innate immune responses in the first 6 months of life

Vitamin D status in early life has been linked to the risk of allergic disease in multiple observational studies.

Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy?

The proposal that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances neurocognitive functioning in term infants is controversial.

Autism spectrum disorder in children born preterm: Role of exposure to perinatal inflammation

This review aims to summarise and evaluate the potential mechanisms and evidence for the role of prenatal infection on the central nervous system, and how it...

Associations between maternal antioxidant intakes in pregnancy and infant allergic outcomes

Antioxidant intakes in pregnancy may influence fetal immune programming and the risk of allergic disease.

Neonatal antigen-presenting cells are functionally more quiescent in children born under traditional compared with modern environmental conditions

One explanation for the high burden of allergic and autoimmune diseases in industrialized countries is inappropriate immune development under modern...

Fish oil supplementation in early infancy modulates developing infant immune responses

Maternal fish oil supplementation during pregnancy has been associated with altered infant immune responses and a reduced risk of infant sensitization and...

Ontogeny of toll-like and NOD-like receptor-mediated innate immune responses in Papua New Guinean infants

Studies addressing the ontogeny of the innate immune system in early life have reported mainly on Toll-like receptor (TLR) responses in infants living in...

A novel role for interleukin-1 receptor signaling in the developmental regulation of immune responses to endotoxin

Suggests that IL-1R1 expression provides an additional level of Myd88-dependent signaling during this period of heighted susceptibility to infection.

Comparison of neonatal T regulatory cell function in Papua New Guinean and Australian newborns

We compared neonatal T reg from children born in western conditions (Australia) with those of neonates born in high microbial conditions (Papua New Guinea)...

T-cell activation genes differentially expressed at birth in CD4+ T-cells from children who develop IgE food allergy

To show underlying mechanisms, we examined differences in T-cell gene expression in samples at birth and at 1 year in children with and without IgE allergy.

The relationship between maternal folate status in pregnancy, cord blood folate levels, and allergic outcomes in early childhood

This study examined whether maternal and/or fetal folate status in pregnancy is associated with infant allergic outcomes.

Preterm infants have deficient monocyte and lymphocyte cytokine responses to group B streptococcus

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is an important cause of early- and late-onset sepsis in the newborn. Preterm infants have markedly increased susceptibility...

The effects of maternal smoking on early mucosal immunity and sensitization at 12 months of age

In this study, we examined the effects of maternal smoking as a major adverse exposure in early life, on mucosal immune function and allergen sensitization...