Timing of food introduction not associated with allergy development

More research has shown that the delay of potentially allergenic foods in early life does not lead to a reduction in the development of allergies.

The eczema and asthma symptoms of nearly 7,000 infants born in the Netherlands were followed until the children were four years old. Information about the timing of introduction of cow's milk, hen's egg, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and gluten into the infants' diets was collected via parental questionnaires when the infants were 6 and 12 months of age. Parental questionnaires when the children were four years old provided information on the outcomes eczema and wheezing. Results indicated that introduction to these foods before the age of six months was not associated with increased incidence of eczema or wheezing at any age.

Initial results indicated that children whose parents had given them nuts before they were six months old had more wheezing, however after adjusting for other factors such as smoking among the mothers, there was no longer a significant association between early exposure to nuts and incidence of eczema or wheezing.

The research was conducted as part of the 'R generation study' which focuses on 10,000 children born in Rotterdam, and their parents. The study will follow these children from foetal life until young adulthood to help determine why some children develop well while others do not.

Reference: Tromp et al. 2011. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine DOI:10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.93