title: Dietary variety and food group consumption in children consuming a cows' milk exclusion diet.
abstract: Dietary variety is defined as the number of different foods or food groups consumed over a given reference period, the consensus being that dietary variety and dietary quality are positively correlated. Recently there has been considerable interest in the association between infant dietary variety and atopic disease.
  
  
  
  This was a cross-sectional study of 8- to 27-month-old children from the Isle of Wight, UK, including two groups: a group of children consuming a cows' milk exclusion (CME) diet and a control group of children consuming an unrestricted diet. Parents completed a validated food frequency questionnaire, from which dietary variety and consumption of food groups were calculated. Growth measurements were recorded.
  
  
  
  A total of 126 participants of mean age 13.0 months were recruited. In addition to the expected differences in dairy and soya consumption, the CME group consumed sweet foods 1.6 times less frequently, non-water drinks seven times less frequently (p < 0.05) and ready-made baby foods 15 times more frequently (p < 0.01) than the control group. Overall dietary variety was significantly lower in the CME group (p < 0.01) as was variety of meat and sweet foods consumed. There was a greater concern with healthy eating in the CME group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  
  Children consuming an exclusion diet for cows' milk allergy have an overall less varied diet, including a less varied consumption of meat and sweet foods. Efforts should be made to ensure exclusion diets are as varied as possible to optimize nutritional intake.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences & Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.|David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, UK.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maslin
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences & Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.|David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, UK.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.affiliation: David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, UK.|University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Syed Hasan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Arshad
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences & Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.|David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, UK.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Venter
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D008894:Milk Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins
keywords: cows' milk allergy; dietary variety; infant diet