The main objective of the current study is to establish the relationship of gut microbiota and development of allergy in 2 populations with different socioeconomic status and prevalence of allergy (high in Singapore and low in Indonesia). A cohort of children will be followed prospectively from birth up to 2 years. Stool from different time points, environmental exposure data and clinical manifestations of allergy will be analyzed and recorded. Singapore and Indonesia will provide the South East Asian context in resolving early life influences associated with divergent allergy prevalence. By studying subjects below age two, this will provide valuable knowledge regarding the epidemiology of allergy and atopy in the first years of life, which is poorly documented in this age group. More importantly, the prospective nature and varied parameters included in this study (colony counts, species variety and genetic diversity of microbiota) will add to the global data and scientific evidence for the role of these factors in allergy development.
