THE ROLE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME IN PEDIATRIC DISEASES: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES
Keywords:
inflammatory bowel disease, allergic disorders, obesity, autism spectrum disorder, and recurrent infectionsAbstract
The gut microbiome — the complex community of trillions of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract — plays a central role in immune education, metabolic regulation, and neurodevelopment from the earliest stages of life. Disruptions in microbiome composition, termed dysbiosis, have been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of pediatric conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, allergic disorders, obesity, autism spectrum disorder, and recurrent infections. This review synthesizes current evidence on the establishment and development of the gut microbiome in childhood, mechanisms by which dysbiosis contributes to disease, and emerging therapeutic strategies including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, dietary interventions, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Early-life factors such as mode of delivery, breastfeeding, antibiotic exposure, and environmental microbiome diversity are recognized as critical determinants of microbiome composition with long-term health consequences. Metagenomics, metabolomics, and multi-omics integration have advanced understanding of microbiome-host interactions at unprecedented resolution. Despite remarkable progress, significant challenges persist in translating microbiome research into standardized clinical interventions, including individual variability, lack of prospective randomized trials in pediatric populations, and regulatory complexity. This review underscores the transformative potential of microbiome-targeted approaches for pediatric disease prevention and treatment while emphasizing the need for rigorous evidence generation and personalized implementation strategies.
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