Early intestinal **Bacteroides fragilis** colonisation and development of asthma University of Antwerp
Background The 'hygiene hypothesis' suggests that early exposure to microbes can be protective against atopic disease. The intestinal microbial flora could operate as an important postnatal regulator of the Th1/Th2 balance. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between early intestinal colonisation and the development of asthma in the first 3 years of life. Methods In a prospective birth cohort, 117 children were classified ...