title: Randomized Trial of Introduction of Allergenic Foods in Breast-Fed Infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The age at which allergenic foods should be introduced into the diet of breast-fed infants is uncertain. We evaluated whether the early introduction of allergenic foods in the diet of breast-fed infants would protect against the development of food allergy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited, from the general population, 1303 exclusively breast-fed infants who were 3 months of age and randomly assigned them to the early introduction of six allergenic foods (peanut, cooked egg, cow's milk, sesame, whitefish, and wheat; early-introduction group) or to the current practice recommended in the United Kingdom of exclusive breast-feeding to approximately 6 months of age (standard-introduction group). The primary outcome was food allergy to one or more of the six foods between 1 year and 3 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the intention-to-treat analysis, food allergy to one or more of the six intervention foods developed in 7.1% of the participants in the standard-introduction group (42 of 595 participants) and in 5.6% of those in the early-introduction group (32 of 567) (P=0.32). In the per-protocol analysis, the prevalence of any food allergy was significantly lower in the early-introduction group than in the standard-introduction group (2.4% vs. 7.3%, P=0.01), as was the prevalence of peanut allergy (0% vs. 2.5%, P=0.003) and egg allergy (1.4% vs. 5.5%, P=0.009); there were no significant effects with respect to milk, sesame, fish, or wheat. The consumption of 2 g per week of peanut or egg-white protein was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of these respective allergies than was less consumption. The early introduction of all six foods was not easily achieved but was safe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trial did not show the efficacy of early introduction of allergenic foods in an intention-to-treat analysis. Further analysis raised the question of whether the prevention of food allergy by means of early introduction of multiple allergenic foods was dose-dependent. (Funded by the Food Standards Agency and others; EAT Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN14254740.).
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Perkin
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Bunmi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raji
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Salma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayis
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brough
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marrs
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Suzana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Radulovic
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Craven
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flohr
authors.affiliation: From the Population Health Research Institute, St. George's, University of London (M.R.P.), the Department of Paediatric Allergy, Division of Asthma, Allergy, and Lung Biology, King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (M.R.P., K.L., A.T., B.R., H.B., T.M., S.R., J.C., C.F., G.L.), the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London (S.A., J.P.), and the St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (C.F.) - all in London.
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lack
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D021183:Peanut Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens