[Food hypersensitivity in infants]

In a group of 41 infants with immediate, IgE mediated, food hypersensitivity, food anamnesis was specific in 60 per 100 and food challenge positive in 29 out of 34 times. Total serum IgE levels were raised in 80 per 100. In 26 instances symptoms appeared with the first food intake (15 cases) or there was sensitization before ingestion (11 cases); all but three were breast fed. Moreover, breast feeding in patients of the whole group had higher prevalence (p less than 0,001) than in a non-sensitized control group. These results suggest that food hypersensitivity in infants occurs very often without previous antigen intake and it is not always followed by clinical intolerance. Breast milk and/or transplacental antigen passage are probably important ways of sensitization. If so, it seems that minute quantities of antigen may be more fit for sensitization, provided the possible genetic high responsiveness for IgE synthesis in those infants.