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World J Gastroenterol. May 14, 2022; 28(18): 1875-1901
Published online May 14, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i18.1875
Gut microbiota in various childhood disorders: Implication and indications
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Adel Salah Bediwy, Yasser El-Sawaf, Osama Toema
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Medical Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Manama 12, Bahrain
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Irish Royal College of Surgeon, Busaiteen 15503, Bahrain
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Manama 26671, Bahrain
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Osama Toema, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31511, Egypt
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Chest Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Center, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Manama 26671, Bahrain
Yasser El-Sawaf, Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
Yasser El-Sawaf, Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Center, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group, Manama 26671, Bahrain
Author contributions: Nermin Kamal Saeed, Mohammed Al-Biltagi, Adel Salah Bediwy, Yasser El-Sawaf, and Osama Toema collected the data and wrote and revised the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mohammed Al-Beltagi, MBChB, MD, MSc, PhD, Chairman, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, King Abdulaziz Avenu, Block 328, BLd 61, Manama 26671, Bahrain. mbelrem@hotmail.com
Received: January 19, 2022
Peer-review started: January 19, 2022
First decision: March 8, 2022
Revised: March 8, 2022
Accepted: March 27, 2022
Article in press: March 27, 2022
Published online: May 14, 2022
Processing time: 112 Days and 23.7 Hours
Abstract

Gut microbiota has a significant role in gut development, maturation, and immune system differentiation. It exerts considerable effects on the child's physical and mental development. The gut microbiota composition and structure depend on many host and microbial factors. The host factors include age, genetic pool, general health, dietary factors, medication use, the intestine's pH, peristalsis, and transit time, mucus secretions, mucous immunoglobulin, and tissue oxidation-reduction potentials. The microbial factors include nutrient availability, bacterial cooperation or antagonism, and bacterial adhesion. Each part of the gut has its microbiota due to its specific characteristics. The gut microbiota interacts with different body parts, affecting the pathogenesis of many local and systemic diseases. Dysbiosis is a common finding in many childhood disorders such as autism, failure to thrive, nutritional disorders, coeliac disease, Necrotizing Enterocolitis, helicobacter pylori infection, functional gastrointestinal disorders of childhood, inflammatory bowel diseases, and many other gastrointestinal disorders. Dysbiosis is also observed in allergic conditions like atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. Dysbiosis can also impact the development and the progression of immune disorders and cardiac disorders, including heart failure. Probiotic supplements could provide some help in managing these disorders. However, we are still in need of more studies. In this narrative review, we will shed some light on the role of microbiota in the development and management of common childhood disorders.

Keywords: Gut microbiota; Dysbiosis; Children; Gastrointestinal disorders; Immune disorders; Allergic disorders; Cardiac disorders

Core Tip: Gut microbiota has an intimate relationship with the various health conditions of the human body. It interacts with different body parts, affecting the pathogenesis of many local and systemic diseases. Gut dysbiosis is observed in many childhood disorders, inside and outside the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic supplements could provide some help in managing these disorders. However, we are still in need of more studies. In this narrative review, we will shed some light on the role of microbiota in the development and management of common childhood disorders.