title: Food allergen avoidance in primary prevention of food allergy.
abstract: Approximately 5-10% of children suffer from allergy to one or more foods. Primary prevention through a hypoallergenic diet may reduce the prevalence of food allergy and associated co-morbidity, such as eczema and urticaria. Breastfeeding has many advantages and should be recommended for all children. Those with a history of atopy in the immediate family are at a higher risk and maternal diet during lactation, avoiding highly allergenic foods, may enhance the benefit. Cow's milk should be strictly avoided, and supplements, if required, should be with a hypoallergenic formula. Delayed introduction of egg, nuts, wheat and fish has also been suggested. Dietary restriction may have nutritional consequences for the mother and child and supervision by a dietician is essential. Maternal diet during pregnancy is not advisable as the benefit is minimal and there may be adverse effects on the foetal nutrition. In high risk infants, a combined approach, where breastfeeding with maternal avoidance of highly allergenic foods, supplemented by extensively hydrolysed formula during the first 6 months of life, in addition to the delayed introduction of solid foods, has been shown to reduce the development of food allergy in infants.
authors: The David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Centre, St. Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, UK. sha@soton.ac.uk
authors: S H
authors: SH
authors: Arshad
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens