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Saliva contact during infancy and allergy development in school-age children

Yoshimi Kubo1, Nobuo Kanazawa1,2, Hironobu Fukuda3,4

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera, Wakayama, Japan.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Global
|October 2, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Parent-child saliva contact in infancy, like sharing utensils or pacifiers, may protect against developing eczema and allergic rhinitis later in childhood. This early immune stimulation appears to reduce allergy risks in school-aged children.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics
  • Allergy Research

Background:

  • Parent-child saliva contact in infancy may prime the immune system for allergy prevention.
  • Limited research exists on the long-term effects of infant saliva exposure on allergy development in school-aged children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parent-child saliva contact during infancy and allergy development at school age.
  • To determine if early-life saliva exposure influences the risk of eczema, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.

Main Methods:

  • A large, multicenter, cross-sectional study involving 3570 Japanese elementary and junior high school children and their parents.
  • Self-administered questionnaires, including the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) criteria, were used.
  • Analysis focused on saliva contact (sharing utensils, pacifier sucking) before 12 months of age and allergy outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Sharing eating utensils during infancy was significantly linked to a lower risk of eczema (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34-0.83).
  • Parental pacifier sucking was associated with significantly lower risks of eczema (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.10-0.60) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15-0.73).
  • A borderline association was observed between pacifier sucking and reduced asthma risk.

Conclusions:

  • Infant saliva contact with parents may play a role in reducing the incidence of eczema and allergic rhinitis.
  • These findings suggest a potential protective mechanism of early immune exposure against allergic diseases.
Abstract

Keywords:
Allergyallergic rhinitiseating utensilseczemainfancyoral microbespacifiersaliva contactschool age

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