BACKGROUND: Chronic urticaria (CU) has been associated with several systemic and autoimmune disorders. The association with atopic disorders is however controversial. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between CU and the atopic disorders: atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC).
METHODS: Search hits from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically reviewed. English papers from 2000 to present, containing original data of the association (prevalence, incidence, or risk) between CU and any atopic disorder(s), were included. Pooled point prevalence and OR with 95% confidence intervals were calculated with a random effects model.
RESULTS: A total of 8,108 search hits were screened and reviewed. Thirty-eight studies met all inclusion criteria. The estimated pooled point prevalence of AD, asthma, and ARC in CU was 7% (5-11%, I2 = 99%), 12% (9-15%, I2 = 100%), and 22% (16-29%, I2 = 100%), respectively. Pooled ORs were estimated to 2.75 (2.05-3.68, I2 = 94%) for AD, 1.87 (1.01-3.45, I2 = 100%) for asthma, and 2.94 (1.84-4.68, I2 = 100%) for ARC.
CONCLUSIONS: Pooled point prevalences of atopic disorders in CU were comparable to the general population. However, studies that compared prevalences with controls from the same population all found a significantly increased risk of atopic disorders in CU. Results should however be interpreted with caution as high heterogeneity was found in all analyses.

Yogurt is a fermented milk product characterised by a peculiar nutritional composition with live and viable cultures of bacteria. Few studies have analysed the benefits of yogurt consumption on health outcomes during paediatric age. Recent epidemiological studies evaluating the nutritional impact of yogurt have demonstrated its significant contribution to nutrients intakes among children. Thus, consuming yogurt is a strategy to achieve recommended nutrient intake and healthier dietary choices, with potential impact on obesity and cardiometabolic outcome in children. Yogurt\'s effects on paediatric infectious diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and atopic-related disorders are ascribed to the specific probiotic strain administered. Interestingly, the benefits of yogurt consumption are most likely due to effects mediated through the gut microbiota and the enhancement of innate and adaptive immune responses. Therefore, supplementing standard yogurt cultures with probiotic strains could be useful to promote health at different paediatric ages, although more evidence is needed regarding the strain-related effects and their interplay within the paediatric immune system.

Paracetamol is the most commonly used antipyretic and analgesic in pregnancy. It is also increasingly used off-label in the neonatal intensive care unit. Despite the frequent use of paracetamol, concerns have been raised regarding the high variability in neonatal dosing regimens and the long-term safety of early life exposure.
To investigate the available evidence on the long-term safety of prenatal and neonatal paracetamol exposure.
We conducted a systematic search of the electronic databases Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase and Web of Science from inception to August 2021 for original research studies of any design that described the use of paracetamol in the prenatal or neonatal (within the first four weeks of life) periods and examined the occurrence of neurodevelopmental, atopic or reproductive adverse outcomes at or beyond birth.
We identified 1313 unique articles and included 30 studies in the final review. Of all studies, 27 (90%), two (7%) and one (3%) were on the long-term safety of prenatal, neonatal and both prenatal and neonatal exposure, respectively. Thirteen (46%), 11 (39%) and four (15%) studies examined neurodevelopmental, atopic and reproductive outcomes. Eleven (100%), 11 (100%), and three (27%) studies on prenatal exposure reported adverse neurodevelopmental, atopic and reproductive outcomes. Only one study found a possible correlation between neonatal paracetamol exposure and long-term adverse outcomes.
The available evidence, although limited, suggests a possible association between prenatal paracetamol exposure and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental, atopic and reproductive adverse outcomes. There is an immediate need for robust data on the long-term safety of paracetamol exposure in the prenatal and neonatal periods.

BACKGROUND: Currently, 1 in 25 children born in Australia are conceived through ARTs such as IVF and ICSI. Worldwide over 8 million children have been born after ART. There is evidence that these children are at an increased risk of congenital malformations, preterm birth, low birth weight and neonatal morbidity. However, studies on long-term health outcomes of offspring conceived after ART are lacking. Atopic disorders, such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and various allergies are increasingly common within society, and concerns have been raised that ART increases the risk of atopy amongst offspring.
UNASSIGNED: The aim of this study was to systematically summarise and quantify the risk of atopic disorders in offspring conceived with ART compared to those conceived without ART.
METHODS: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Several systematic searches were performed in the following international databases: Medline, Embase, Cinahl, PsychINFO, AMED, Global Health and ISI Web of Science. Search terms utilised were all terms pertaining to ART, IVF, ICSI, asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergies. The search period was 1978-2021. Included observational studies stated a primary outcome of asthma or allergies in offspring conceived after ART, with a comparison group conceived without ART. Individual studies were scored on quality and risk of bias, using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS).
RESULTS: There were 26 studies which met the inclusion criteria; of these, 24 studies investigated asthma in offspring conceived after ART. While 10 studies, including the two largest population-based studies, reported a significantly increased risk of asthma in offspring conceived after ART (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) range: 1.20-2.38), 14 smaller cohort studies found no difference (aOR range 0.70-1.27). In the meta-analysis of the 14 highest-quality studies (NOS ≥ 7), a modest yet significantly increased risk of asthma was demonstrated in offspring conceived after ART [risk ratio (RR) 1.28 (1.08-1.51)]. Although heterogeneity in these 14 studies was high (I2 = 85%), the removal of outliers and high weight studies significantly reduced heterogeneity (I2 = 0% and I2 = 34% respectively) while still demonstrating a significantly increased risk [RR 1.19 (1.10-1.28) and RR 1.31 (1.03-1.65), respectively]. The increased asthma risk was also observed in most subgroup and sensitivity analyses. The allergy rates were not increased in offspring conceived after ART in 9 of 12 studies (aOR range 0.60-1.30). In summary, the findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest a trend towards a significantly increased risk of asthma, but not allergies, in offspring conceived after ART. There was no evidence of publication bias in the asthma studies and minimal evidence of publication bias in the allergy studies (both P > 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: Asthma brings considerable burden to the quality of life of individuals and to society. Hence, it is of great importance to untangle potential causal pathways. Although ART use is common, knowledge about its long-term health effects is required to provide evidence-based advice to couples considering ART, and to be vigilant for any potential adverse health effects on offspring conceived after ART.

BACKGROUND: Atopic disorders have been reported in CHARGE syndrome, but the prevalence and underlying mechanisms are not known.
METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of atopic disorders in 23 individuals with CHARGE syndrome, and reviewed other published reports of atopic disorders in CHARGE syndrome. We assayed for enrichment of atopic disorders in CHARGE syndrome based on gender and presence of a CHD7 pathogenic variant.
RESULTS: In our cohort, 65% (15/23) of individuals with CHARGE syndrome were found to have a pathogenic CHD7 variant. Overall, 65% (15/23) of individuals with CHARGE had atopic disorders. Among the 23 individuals with CHARGE, 22% (5/23) had food allergy, 26% (6/23) exhibited drug allergy, 22% (5/23) had contact allergy, 9% (2/23) had allergic rhinitis, and 22% (5/23) had asthma. In our cohort, the proportion of males to females with CHARGE and atopic disorders was 11:4 (P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference between atopic disorders in individuals with CHD7 pathogenic variants and those without CHD7 pathogenic variants (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort of 23 individuals with CHARGE syndrome, 15 (65%) exhibited atopic disorders, with a slight male predominance.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies suggest that maternal stress during pregnancy promotes atopic disorders in the offspring. This is the first systematic review to address prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) and the subsequent risk of atopy-related outcomes in the child.
METHODS: The review was performed in accordance to the PRISMA criteria. We searched and selected studies in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and PsychINFO until November 2014.
RESULTS: Sixteen (with 25 analyses) of 426 identified articles met the review criteria. Five main PNMS exposures (negative life events, anxiety/depression, bereavement, distress and job strain) and five main atopic outcomes (asthma, wheeze, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and IgE) were assessed across the studies. Overall, 21 of the 25 analyses suggested a positive association between PNMS and atopic outcomes. Of the 11 exposure-response analyses reported, six found statistically significant trends.
CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review suggests a relationship between maternal stress during pregnancy and atopic disorders in the child. However, the existing studies are of diverse quality. The wide definitions of often self-reported stress exposures imply a substantial risk for information bias and false-positive results. Research comparing objective and subjective measures of PNMS exposure as well as objective measures for atopic outcome is needed.