Nasal microbiome insights could prevent childhood infections

Dr. Matthew Kelly, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and DMC Co-Director is working to find ways to reduce the burden of respiratory diseases on our youngest populations. One possible solution, he says, is the nasal microbiome. Dr. Kelly’s research was recently highlighted in a Duke School of Medicine article here.  Children under age five face an average of six to eight respiratory infections a year. As we age, we develop the ability to ward off more infections, but for the younger population, these respiratory infections are often become serious, even life-threatening. The microbiome can help protect from pathogen infections, but babies haven’t yet had time to develop a normal microbiomes. Dr. Kelly thinks that if they could get exposed to beneficial bacteria early, they may be better able to avoid respiratory infections.  To learn more about Dr. Kelly’s research, read the full article here.

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