Hot topics in Paediatric Allergology: update and outlook

Atopic diseases, the new "epidemic of the 21(st) century" and a central health problem of industrial nations, call for development of innovative primary prevention concepts. The idea of the new concept is to promote naturally protective factors such as dietary factors, microbial components or allergens themselves to modulate the immune-system to inhibit predominance of Th2 immune responses, to keep the immunological balance and therefore to prevent development of atopic sensitization as first step in the "atopic march". The present review gives an overview of current experimental and immunomodulatory procedures and their underlying mechanisms during pregnancy and lactation as especially sensitive periods for primary prevention by environmental factors.