Early-life gastrointestinal inflammation and the developing brain: Unravelling the pathways to long-term cognitive dysfunction
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Nermin Kamal Saeed, Yasser El-Sawaf, Adel Salah Bediwy, Reem Elbeltagi
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31511, Algharbia, Egypt
Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Bahrain
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Medical Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Governmental Hospitals, Ministry of Health, Manama 12, Bahrain
Nermin Kamal Saeed, Medical Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Medical University of Bahrain, Busaiteen 15503, Muharraq, Bahrain
Yasser El-Sawaf, Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Alghrabia, Egypt
Yasser El-Sawaf, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Bahrain
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Alghrabia, Egypt
Adel Salah Bediwy, Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Bahrain
Reem Elbeltagi, Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Medical University of Bahrain, Busaiteen 15503, Muharraq, Bahrain
Author contributions: Al-Beltagi M served as the corresponding author, responsible for the conceptualization, overall supervision, comprehensive literature review, drafting, and critical revision of the entire manuscript, including the final approval of the submitted version; Saeed NK and El-Sawaf Y contributed substantially to the literature review and drafting of sections focusing on the microbial, inflammatory, and gastroenterological contexts of the review, specifically addressing microbiome signatures, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and enteric infections, alongside critical revision; Bediwy AS contributed to the literature review and the drafting of sections concerning systemic inflammation, immunological factors, and critical revision; Elbeltagi R provided valuable contributions to the literature review and the content focusing on cognitive, psychosocial outcomes, and the clinical implications discussed within the article; all listed authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Mohammed Al-Beltagi, MD, PhD, Consultant, Head, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, 1 Hassan Radwan Street, Tanta 31511, Algharbia, Egypt.
mbelrem@hotmail.com
Received: December 17, 2025
Revised: December 31, 2025
Accepted: February 9, 2026
Published online: June 9, 2026
Processing time: 147 Days and 14.5 Hours
