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The risk of developing food allergy in premature or low-birth-weight children

Joel J Liem1, Anita L Kozyrskyj, Shamima I Huq

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|March 24, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Premature or low-birth-weight children do not have an increased risk of developing food allergies. This study found no significant association between birth weight or gestational age and food allergy development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Neonatology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Premature and low-birth-weight infants exhibit increased gut permeability compared to full-term infants.
  • This heightened intestinal permeability may suggest a potential vulnerability to allergic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prematurity/low birth weight and the risk of developing food allergies in children.
  • To determine if infants born prematurely or with low birth weight are more susceptible to food allergies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the 1995 Manitoba Birth Cohort data from the Manitoba Health Services Insurance Plan (MHSIP) database.
  • Identified food allergy diagnoses (ICD-9-CM code 693 or epinephrine prescription) up to 2002.
  • Calculated relative risks comparing food allergy incidence in premature/low-birth-weight infants versus term/normal-birth-weight infants.

Main Results:

  • A cohort of 13,980 children born in 1995 was analyzed.
  • Food allergy was diagnosed in 4.23% of children, with epinephrine prescribed for 2.26%.
  • No statistically significant increased risk for food allergy was observed in any gestational age or birth weight group.

Conclusions:

  • Prematurity and low birth weight are not linked to an altered risk of developing childhood food allergies.
  • Gastrointestinal tract or immune system immaturity in premature infants does not appear to increase food allergy risk.
  • Further research is needed to explore potential protective mechanisms, such as early food antigen exposure promoting immune tolerance.
Abstract

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