Publication Name	World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
Manuscript ID	117843
Country	Egypt

Category	Pediatrics
Manuscript Type	Review
Article Title	Early-life gastrointestinal inflammation and the developing brain: Unravelling the pathways to long-term cognitive dysfunction
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Nermin Kamal Saeed, Yasser El-Sawaf, Adel Salah Bediwy and Reem Elbeltagi
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Chairman, Consultant, Head, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, 1 Hassan Radwan Street, Tanta 31511, Algharbia, Egypt. mbelrem@hotmail.com
Key Words	Gut-brain axis; Neurodevelopment; Necrotizing enterocolitis; Inflammatory bowel disease; Celiac disease; Cognitive dysfunction; Microbiome
Core Tip	Early-life and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation (e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease) must be recognized as critical red flags for long-term neurocognitive and psychiatric dysfunction. These outcomes, including impaired executive function, attention deficits, and mood disorders, are driven by sustained systemic inflammation, the Kynurenine pathway, and micronutrient deficiencies. Clinical practice requires a neuroprotective strategy that integrates gastrointestinal specialists with neurodevelopmental and mental health screening protocols. Therapeutic goals should prioritize achieving deep mucosal healing and correcting nutritional deficits (iron, B-vitamins, omega-3s) to mitigate brain risk and improve long-term functional capacity. Future research must validate these interventions to solidify the therapeutic potential of the gut-brain axis.
Citation	Al-Beltagi M, Saeed NK, El-Sawaf Y, Bediwy AS, Elbeltagi R. Early-life gastrointestinal inflammation and the developing brain: Unravelling the pathways to long-term cognitive dysfunction. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; In press

Received	2025-12-17 01:17
Peer-Review Started	2025-12-17 01:17
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-31 08:22
Return for Revision	2025-12-31 08:22
Revised	2025-12-31 12:30
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-02-09 02:42
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-02-09 05:08
Articles in Press	2026-02-09 05:08
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2219-2808 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright	© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Permissions	For details, please visit: http://www.wjgnet.com/bpg/gerinfo/207
Publisher	Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Website	http://www.wjgnet.com