The developing airway and gut microbiota in early life is influenced by age of older siblings.
Emil Dalgaard ChristensenMathis Hjort HjelmsøJonathan ThorsenShiraz ShahTamsin RedgwellChristina Egeø PoulsenUrvish TrivediJakob RusselShashank GuptaBo L ChawesKlaus BønnelykkeSøren Johannes SørensenMorten Arendt RasmussenHans BisgaardJessica Lasky-SuPublished in: Microbiome (2022)
Having siblings is one of the most important factors influencing a child's developing microbiota, and the specific effects may explain previously established associations between siblings and asthma and infectious diseases. As such, siblings should be considered in all studies involving the developing microbiota, with emphasis on the age gap to the closest older sibling rather than the number of siblings. Video abstract.