[Potential dietary interventions for prevention and treatment of infant allergy]

The incidence of atopic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and food allergies has increased exponentially in recent decades. Although atopic diseases have a clear genetic basis, environmental factors such as the diet, seems to play an important role in its development. This article summarizes main studies exploring whether feeding practices of mothers and infants intervenes in the development of allergic diseases. The potential role of dietary practices of the mother and infants for the prevention and/or management of allergies in infants is discussed. The available evidence was analyzed for: (1) does mothers consumption of essential fatty acids, prebiotics and probiotics modulates the onset of allergic disorders?, (2) Does breastfeeding and artificial formula prevent/trigger the onset of allergy symptoms? (3) Does timing of introduction of solid feeding and the selection of certain common food allergens participate in achieving oral tolerance in infants? Accumulated evidence in recent years suggest that exposure to allergens early in life may promote immune tolerance and contribute to prevent infant food sensitization.