“…For example, cesarean-born infants typically have a gut microbiome, with lower levels of Escherichia coli , Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides species compared with those delivered vaginally [ 206 ], and increased levels of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus , comparable with the maternal skin microbiome [ 207 ]. The infant gut microbiota is significantly affected by factors such as perinatal exposure to maternal and child nutrition, antibiotic use and contact with older siblings while prebiotic intake as fibers and oligosaccharides can improve immunity and metabolism [ 200 , 204 , 205 , 206 , 207 , 208 , 209 , 210 ] and promote a long-term protective effect against food allergies in the offspring. For example, early inoculation with spore-forming Clostridium class IV and XIV species and other bacteria has been shown to lead to decreased levels of circulating IgE in adulthood while colonization of H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae , or M. catarrhalis within the first month of life increases the risk of asthma, leading to high counts of atopic markers, such as eosinophils and serum IgE [ 209 , 210 , 211 ].…”