For years, immunologists have assumed that the developing immune system has no single make-or-break phase. A new study of hundreds of infants challenges that assumption, pointing to the first week after birth as a potentially decisive period for future allergies and eczema.
Researchers tracked infants and found that the first week of life appeared to influence whether children later developed allergic conditions or eczema. The findings suggest that early immune system development may be more sensitive to disruption than previously thought.
The study, reported by New Scientist, offers an alternative to the mainstream view but does not prove causation. Because the report is based on one study, its conclusions will need replication before they change clinical practice.