Infant Feeding Practices and Reported Food Allergies at 6 Years of Age

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to identify the frequency of physician-diagnosed food allergies among 6-year-old US children and study the impact of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary food introduction on this frequency. METHODS: Data were analyzed from children who participated in the Infant Feeding Practices Study II Year 6 Follow-Up Study (Y6FU). Children with probable food allergy (pFA) were defined as children with report of physician-diagnosed food allergy at age 6 years. Subgroups of pFA included children who were not diagnosed before 1 year of age (new pFA) and those with atopic risk factors (high risk). RESULTS: Prevalence of total pFA in the Y6FU was 6.34%. The majority of these children had new pFA and high-risk factors. Higher maternal education, higher family income, family history of food allergy, and reported eczema before 1 year of age were significantly associated with higher odds of total or new pFA. Exclusive breastfeeding duration and timing of complementary food introduction were not significantly associated with total pFA. However, exclusive breastfeeding of ≥4 months compared with no breastfeeding was marginally associated with lower odds of new pFA (adjusted odds ratio: 0.51; P = .07); this effect was not observed with high-risk children. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of infant and maternal variables in the Y6FU cohort of US children revealed that socioeconomic and atopic factors were the main predictors of pFA at age 6 years. Exclusive breastfeeding of ≥4 months may have a preventive effect on development of pFA after 1 year of age in non high-risk children.

Gut Microbiome and the Development of Food Allergy and Allergic Disease

“…Considering these limitations, there is insufficient data at this time to suggest whether breast-feeding is a protective factor in the development of food allergy. 95,119,120 …”

Food-Related Symptoms and Food Allergy in Swedish Children from Early Life to Adolescence

“…Family history of allergy [23–25] and allergic diseases in early life, particularly eczema [23] and Immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity [24–27], are established risk factors, whereas early life environmental factors and socio-demographic exposures remain incompletely understood [23, 25–30]. Less is known about the risk factors for, and the prognosis of FRS and FA from early life through adolescence.…”

Quoi de neuf en allergologie pédiatrique en 2014 ? Épidémiologie générale, diagnostic (précoce), traitement, anaphylaxie, allergie alimentaire, médicamenteuse et aux venins et salives d’insectes (une revue de la littérature internationale 2014)

“…Une exposition prénatale à des inhibiteurs de la pompe à protons (IPP) et/ou à des antihistaminiques H2 a été associée à une majoration significative des risques de dermatite atopique (DA, × 1,32), d'asthme (× 1,57) et de rhinite allergique (× 2,40). Cette augmentation a été encore plus importante chez les enfants exposés à ces mêmes médicaments anti-acides après la naissance (× 2, 18). Malgré les limites de cette étude (toutes les DA, toutes les rhinites et tous les asthmes de l'enfant ne sont pas allergiques), ces résultats tendent à confirmer la notion selon laquelle les expositions prénatales et, surtout, post-natales aux médicaments anti-acides tendent à augmenter les risques ultérieurs de maladie allergique.…”

“…Luccioli et al ont pu suivre 1531 enfants de la naissance jusqu'à l'âge de 6 ans [18]. À cet âge, la fréquence des allergies alimentaires médicalement diagnostiquées a été analysée en fonction des conditions de l'allaitement maternel (exclusif ou non, prolongé ou bref) et des modalités de la diversification alimentaire.…”