Geneva, Babies who are born with a wide variety
of bacteria in their nose are more likely to recover quickly from their first
cold, research suggests.
The common cold is caused by a virus, but scientists want to
understand how such illnesses are affected by natural bacteria in the
respiratory tract.
The study may also indicate why infants who suffer from lots of
colds are more at risk of developing asthma later on.
“The respiratory tract is home to a wide variety of bacteria and we are
beginning to understand that the types and numbers of these bacteria
– what we refer to as the microbiota – can influence our respiratory
health,” said Dr. Roland P Neumann from University Children’s
Hospital, Basel.
Researchers based their results on swabs taken from 167
babies.
The swabs were taken as soon as the infants developed the first
signs of a cold – and then again three weeks later.
Scientists analysed the swabs by testing for the presence of
respiratory viruses, such as the common cold, and for the types and
numbers of different bacteria present.
Researchers also considered other factors which can affect
respiratory health, including the time of year and the baby’s age at the
point of their first cold, whether the infant had siblings or attended
nursery, and whether they were regularly exposed to cigarette smoke.
The study, published in ERJ Open Research, suggests that
babies who have a wide variety of different bacteria living in their nose
tend to recover more quickly from their first respiratory virus.
By comparison, those who have less variety and more bacteria
from either the Moraxellaceae or Streptococcaceae family recover more
slowly.
Previous studies have shown a similar link between bacteria
found in these family groups and the development of respiratory
disease in adulthood.
Researchers have suggested two possible explanations for the
link between nose-dwelling bacteria and respiratory infection. The
presence of certain bacteria causes inflammation and worsens
symptoms.
A more diverse set of bacteria offers some protective effect
against respiratory infection
The research was part of a larger study that is following a group
of babies from birth to investigate the complex interactions of genetic
and environmental factors and their influence on lung health, the BBC
news reported.
Source: Oman News Agency