Maintain Your Child's Barriers

Maintaining your child's immunological barriers is critical for preventing allergies.

Maintain a healthy oral barrier

A damaged oral barrier allows food and environmental allergens to bypass, increasing the risk of allergies. Fortunately, a healthy oral microbiome protects oral barrier function.⁽¹⁰⁶^, ¹⁰⁷⁾

Behaviors that have been linked to positive oral health: ¹⁰⁸

Flossing
Brushing teeth
Healthy diet
Understanding that oral health problems such as cavities are caused by the composition of bacteria in the mouth

Maintain a healthy skin barrier

A damaged skin barrier allows food and environmental allergens to bypass, which increases the risk of developing allergies. Fortunately, a healthy skin microbiome protects skin barrier function.⁽⁴⁴^, ⁴⁵⁾

The following can be disruptive to your child: ⁴⁶

Ionic surfactants (soaps or detergents): surfactants strip away bacteria and oils that help strengthen the skin barrier and can cause direct damage.

Prevent chlorine pool exposure: ⁴⁸

Chlorinated pool water damages the skin barrier, kills the skin microbiome, and strips away oils.
Skin disorders, including eczema and contact dermatitis, are more frequent in people exposed to chlorine pools.

Promote sufficient sun exposure: ⁽¹¹^, ⁴⁹^, ⁵⁰⁾

Increased direct UV light exposure, especially in the first three months of life, allows for the induction of regulatory effects on the immune system, decreasing the risk of eczema and food allergy development.
However, it is important that you don’t overdo it. Protect your child from sunburn, which damages the skin and can negatively affect the skin microbiome. Shade and sun avoidance is better than sunscreen as they can expose your child to toxins and directly cause skin damage.

Maintain a healthy gut barrier

Damage to the gut barrier increases the likelihood of developing allergies by allowing allergens to leak out of the gut and promote an immune response. Fortunately, a healthy gut microbiome protects gut barrier function and plays a crucial role in its healing and restoration.⁽⁵¹^,⁵²⁾

Consume prebiotics: ⁵³

Consumption of dietary fiber helps to fortify gut barrier function.

Consume probiotics: ⁸

Specific species of bacteria strengthen the gut barrier by reducing its permeability.

No artificial sweeteners: ⁵⁴

Artificial sweeteners damage the gut barrier by significantly increasing its permeability.

Maintain a healthy respiratory barrier

Damage to the respiratory barrier increases the likelihood of developing allergies, especially allergic asthma, by allowing food and environmental allergens to bypass when breathed in. Fortunately, a healthy respiratory microbiome protects respiratory barrier function.⁵⁵

Prevent exposure to detergents: ⁴⁶

Detergents can cause damage to epithelial barriers of the respiratory system.

Prevent chlorine pool exposure: ⁵⁶

The air above swimming pools treated with chlorine has been shown to increase the permeability of the respiratory barrier and disrupt the respiratory microbiome, which leads to an increased risk of developing asthma.

Prevent respiratory illness: ¹⁸

Respiratory illnesses such as RSV can increase the risk of asthma by damaging the respiratory barrier.
Having your child wear a mask around sick people decreases respiratory illness risk.

Your child should avoid inhaling smoke, aerosols, and air pollution, which can damage the respiratory barrier.

Sufficient sun exposure

Your child needs sufficient amounts of UV light exposure and vitamin D synthesis, so give your child at least 15-20 minutes of sun exposure per day.

Increased time outdoors between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. decreases the risk of eczema, so don't be afraid of high-intensity sunlight.⁴⁹

Do this responsibly, as excessive exposure to UV light can lead to sunburn, which should be avoided.

Avoid antibiotics or acid suppressants

Antibiotic use in infants leads to an altered makeup of the microbiome, increasing the risk of allergies.⁽⁵⁷^, ⁵⁸⁾

Acid suppressant use in childhood disrupts the digestion of dietary proteins, increasing the risk of developing allergies and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).²³

Consult your doctor before giving these medications, which have been shown to contribute to adverse allergic outcomes in young children.