Table 1 Characteristics of participating children
From: Diversity of the gut microbiota and eczema in early life
| Â | Total n (%) | Eczema1 n (%) | Controls n (%) | P-value2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender: | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   -Male | 11 (52.4) | 4 (44.4) | 7 (58.3) | 0.67 |
Mode of delivery: | Â | Â | Â | 0.67 |
   -Vaginal | 10 (47.6) | 5 (55.6) | 5 (41.7) |  |
   -Cesarean | 11 (52.4) | 4 (44.4) | 7 (58.3) |  |
Maternal history of atopy | 12 (57.1) | 7 (77.8) | 5 (41.7) | 0.18 |
Term delivery3 | 17 (81.0) | 7 (77.8) | 10 (83.3) | 1.00 |
Birthweight (g), mean (SD) | 3319 (688) | 3192 (395) | 3415 (851) | 0.24 |
5-minute APGAR, median | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0.50 |
Breastfed | 11 (52.4) | 6 (66.7) | 5 (41.7) | 0.39 |
Daycare attendance | 5 (23.8) | 1 (11.1) | 4 (33.3) | 0.34 |
Use of antibiotics4 | 3 (18.8) | 1 (16.7) | 2 (20.0) | 1.00 |
Measures of bacterial diversity: | Â | Â | Â | Â |
DGGE bands5, mean (95%CI): | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   -1 month of age | 4.4 (3.6–5.1) | 3.8 (2.6–4.9) | 4.8 (3.8–5.9) | 0.10 |
   -4 months of age | 5.3 (3.8–6.7) | 3.9 (2.3–5.4) | 6.5 (4.2–8.8) | 0.06 |
Shannon index6, mean (95%CI): | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   -1 month of age | 0.66 (0.55–0.76) | 0.53 (0.38–0.67) | 0.75 (0.63–0.88) | 0.01 |
   -4 months of age | 0.77 (0.62–0.91) | 0.59 (0.38–0.81) | 0.92 (0.76–1.08) | 0.02 |