[Early feeding in infancy and atopic dermatitis - a prospective observational study].
BACKGROUND
Recommendations for primary prevention of allergic diseases in high-risk children include hypoallergenic infant formulas (HA) if breastfeeding is insufficient. The primary objective of our study was to investigate the atopic dermatitis (AD) preventive effect of breastfeeding and HA-nutrition in the first 2 years of life and to follow the increase in weight.


METHODS
Altogether 174 newborns with a hereditary risk for atopy were enrolled in the study, 121 children were investigated at the age of 2 months, 111 at the age of 4 and 106 at the age of 6 months. A total of 45 infants were in the first half-year of life exclusively breastfed and 61 infants were mainly fed with HA.


RESULTS
The body weight of initially HA-fed children was 7870G (SD 949) significantly higher as the one of breastfed children (7508 G, SD 912, p=0.0571), in addition the weight increase was also significantly higher in HA-fed infants at the age of 6 months (p=0.0042). The frequency of AD as well as SCORAD score at the age of 6 to 24 months was comparable in both groups. Neither the milk-specific IgE antibodies nor the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to bovine beta-Lactoglobulin (BLG) at the age of 6 months had a prognostic value for development of atopic dermatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The likelihood to develop AD in the first 2 years of life was comparable in exclusively breastfed as in HA-fed infants with hereditary risk for atopy. The initially HA-fed children demonstrated at the age of 6 months higher body weight and weight increase as the exclusively breastfed infants. The efficacy of nutritional intervention on the incidence of AD in high-risk children for atopy could not be predicted by milk-specific IgE antibodies or BLG-specific proliferation of PBMC.
Nentwich
I
I
Institut für klinische Immunologie und Allergologie der Masaryk-Universität, Brno, Tschechien.
Pazdírková
A
A
Lokaj
J
J
Szepfalusi
Z
Z
Hrstková
H
H
D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D012307:Risk Factors
D008894:Milk Proteins; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D007073:Immunoglobulin E