Inflammatory bowel diseases include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). These two pathologies are characterized by inflammation of the wall of part of the digestive tract. The latter is due to a deregulation of the intestinal immune system. Recently, the Western diet, consisting mainly of processed foods, has been shown to increase the risk of developing these diseases. According to a new study whose results were published in the journal Digestive and Liver Disease, Breastfeeding, child nutrition or even passive smoking at a young age could play a role in the appearance of these diseases in adulthood.
During their research, scientists noticed that for children who were introduced to solid foods early (between three and six months), the risk of developing Crohn’s was slightly greater than for those who had it later. six months.
“Our work suggests that early introduction of solid foods in infancy could increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease later in life. This discovery needs to be verified in other populations, but it opens the way to new avenues of research in this area,” explains Professor Rousseau, specialist in epidemiology and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases who works at the Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnology Research Center at INRS.
Passive smoking increases the risks by 23%
Another interesting observation: exclusive breastfeeding tends to reduce the risk of developing Crohn’s later. This analysis is consistent with what most experts recommend.
As for passive smoking, it appears that children exposed to smoke during their first three years of life have a 23% higher risk of developing Crohn’s disease compared to others.
“Our work has highlighted several unique results for the advancement of research, particularly concerning the harmful influence of passive smoking during early childhood in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases,” explains Canisius Fantodji, first author of the study and doctoral student in epidemiology and immunology.
A crucial period for the establishment of the intestinal microbiota
“To date, few studies have examined the links between secondary exposure to tobacco smoke in early childhood and IBD, and no study has been able to determine the extent to which the effect of exposure to second-hand smoke was explained by participants’ active smoking later in life,” welcomes Dr. Jantchou, clinical researcher and gastroenterologist at CHU Sainte-Justine and associate clinical professor at the University of Montreal (Canada).
“This reinforces the importance of avoiding children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, not only for their general health, but also to limit their risk of developing chronic intestinal diseases in the future,” he continues.
This study is one of the few to focus on exposure during early childhood, more precisely from 0 to 3 years old. However, this period is crucial for the establishment and diversification of the intestinal microbiota.
150,000 people affected in France
“With our work, we offer concrete avenues for prevention, because to our knowledge, all the factors studied can be modified by a change in habits,” rejoices Canisius Fantodji.
The frequency of Crohn’s disease varies greatly from one region to another. The prevalence seems highest in the United States and Western Europe. In France, there are 150,000 people suffering from the disease. While the latter is most often diagnosed in early adulthood (between 15 and 30 years), it can occur at any age, affecting both sexes.
Source: www.topsante.com
