The Role of the Microbiome in Early Childhood

The microbiome plays a major role in shaping human development. Societal effects such as antibiotic use, increased hygiene, mode of birth delivery, breast or bottle feeding, and pets all shape the early childhood microbiome, which in turn affects many aspects of normal childhood development and susceptibility to disease. The implications of living in our oversanitized world will be discussed in the context of tct of microbes on asthma susceptibility and on cognitive development.