Related Experiment Videos
Infant feeding and allergy: 12-month prospective study of 500 babies born into allergic families
T G Merrett1, M L Burr, B K Butland
1RAST Allergy Unit, Benenden Hospital, Kent, UK.
Insights
Breastfeeding, not withholding cow's milk, reduced allergy symptoms in high-risk infants. Environmental factors like smoking and dampness influenced wheezing, while eczema showed different associations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Infants with a family history of allergies are at high risk for developing allergic diseases.
- Early life nutrition and environmental exposures are critical factors in allergy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of withholding cow's milk versus breastfeeding on allergic disease symptoms in high-risk infants.
- To identify environmental risk factors associated with specific allergic symptoms like wheezing and eczema.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 487 high-risk infants was studied during their first year of life.
- Infants were randomized to either a standard diet or one excluding cow's milk, using a soya substitute.
- Data on allergic symptoms, feeding practices, and environmental exposures were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Withholding cow's milk did not benefit infants and was associated with more symptoms.
- Breastfeeding, regardless of duration, significantly reduced the incidence of wheeze, prolonged colds, diarrhea, and vomiting.
- Wheezing was more common in boys, infants of smoking mothers, and associated with factors like social class and damp environments.
- Mite exposure correlated with prolonged colds, while eczema showed no association with feeding or most environmental factors but was linked to specific allergic markers.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding is protective against several allergic symptoms in early infancy.
- Environmental factors play a significant role in the development of wheezing, but not eczema.
- Cow's milk avoidance in infancy did not demonstrate a protective effect against allergic diseases in this cohort.
Abstract:
This investigation studied 487 babies for symptoms of allergic disease during their first year of life. Because of their positive family histories all the babies are at high risk of becoming allergic. The babies were randomly divided such that cows' milk was deliberately withheld from one group; infants in this group were fed with a soya substitute where required. No benefit resulted from withholding cows' milk, indeed symptoms were more usually associated with this group. Breast feeding, even for a short period, was clearly associated with a lower incidence of wheeze, prolonged colds, diarrhoea, and vomiting. It seemed that the duration of breast feeding was less important than whether or not the child had been breast-fed at all. Wheezing was both more common among boys than girls (P less than .05) and if the mother was a smoker. Other environmental features related to wheezing were social class, month of birth, lack of breast feeding, exposure to dampness, mould and coal fires, but not to domestic pets nor to the numbers of mites found in bedding and carpets. Mite exposure was, however, associated with prolonged colds. Eczema was the only allergic symptom not positively associated with any environmental factor; moreover, it was neither associated with a lack of breast feeding nor with inclusion of cows' milk in the diet. Eczema was associated with the incidence of positive skin prick tests and IgE antibodies to egg white. IgE and IgG4 antibodies were estimated at birth (mothers' and cord bloods) and 3 and 12 months later.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)