Dietary prevention of allergic diseases in infants and small children. Part I: immunologic background and criteria for hypoallergenicity.
The role of primary prevention of allergic diseases has been a matter of debate for the last 40 years. In order to shed some light into this issue, a group of experts of the Section of Pediatrics EAACI critically reviewed the existing literature on the subject. In this paper, the immunology of the fetus and newborn is reviewed as well as the post-natal development of the immune system. The influence of post-natal environment and breastfeeding on tolerance induction and sensitization are examined. Allergic diseases result from a strong relationship between genetic and environmental factors. Sensitization to food allergens occurs in the first year of life and cow's milk allergy is the first food allergy to appear in the susceptible infants. Hypoallergenicity of food formulas to be used is a critical issue both for treatment of cow's milk-allergic children and for prevention. Methods to document hypoallergenicity are discussed and evaluated in the preclinical and clinical steps.
Muraro
Antonella
A
Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Dreborg
Sten
S
Halken
Susanne
S
Høst
Arne
A
Niggemann
Bodo
B
Aalberse
Rob
R
Arshad
Syed H
SH
Berg Av
Andrea von
Av
Carlsen
Kai- Hå kon
K
Duschén
Karel
K
Eigenmann
Philippe
P
Hill
David
D
Jones
Catherine
C
Mellon
Michael
M
Oldeus
Göran
G
Oranje
Arnold
A
Pascual
Cristina
C
Prescott
Susan
S
Sampson
Hugh
H
Svartengren
Magnus
M
Vandenplas
Yvan
Y
Wahn
Ulrich
U
Warner
Jill A
JA
Warner
John O
JO
Wickman
Magnus
M
Zeiger
Robert S
RS
D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004035:Diet Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy