The neonatal window of opportunity—early priming

Title: The neonatal window of opportunity—early priming

This paper describes the concept of the “neonatal window of opportunity”, i.e. a critical time frame in a newborn’s life during which environmental factors drive immune and tissue development. This maturation influences the susceptibility to immune-mediated and other diseases in adult life. Indeed, epidemiological studies show a strong correlation between early microbial exposure to allergens and a reduced risk of hypersensitivity leading to asthma or hay fever later in life.

Particularly in the pre- or perinatal period microbial factors have a strong impact on the development of immune responses, as exposure to commensal bacteria rapidly increases. The first colonizers quickly proliferate in the newborn, which can then dominate a specific niche. Which bacteria colonize first is being influenced by the place of birth, mode of delivery, breastfeeding, medication and antibiotic use, introduction of solid foods, but also the exposure to siblings and pets. In addition, exposure to products from the maternal microbiota during pregnancy and in early life during lactation is crucial, as this prepares the newborn for colonization with its own microbiota and sets the baseline for a regulated immune system. Healthy nutrition during pregnancy and early life represents a key factor for proper immune development, with human milk being the gold standard.

During our life, our body is exposed continuously to many danger signals. An effective and well-trained immune system is essential in order to protect us from disease and to repair damaged tissues. Unbalanced immune reactivity seems to play a key role in the development of non-communicable diseases and therefore training of the immune system in early life is crucial for life long health.

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