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Parental atopy and early exposure to diverse solid foods significantly increase eczema risk in infants. Breast-feeding showed no significant impact on eczema rates in this birth cohort study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergy and Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a prevalent condition with complex etiology.
- Prenatal factors and early infant feeding practices are hypothesized to influence eczema development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal atopy, breastfeeding, and early solid food introduction with the incidence of eczema in a cohort of 2-year-old children.
Main Methods:
- A birth cohort study design was employed.
- Data on parental atopy, breastfeeding status, and timing/diversity of early solid food introduction were collected.
- Eczema diagnosis and rates were assessed at 2 years of age.
Main Results:
- Eczema rates were significantly higher in children with atopic parents and those introduced to solid foods within the first 4 months of life.
- Children of atopic parents receiving early solid foods showed over 2.5 times the eczema rate compared to non-atopic children not given early solids.
- Eczema incidence increased proportionally with the diversity of solid foods introduced in the first 4 months.
- Breastfeeding duration did not show a significant effect on eczema rates.
Conclusions:
- Parental atopy is a significant risk factor for childhood eczema.
- Early and diverse introduction of solid foods in infancy is associated with increased eczema risk.
- Breastfeeding does not appear to be a protective factor against eczema development in this cohort.
Abstract:
The relationship between prenatal atopy, breast-feeding, early solid food diet and the rate of eczema was studied in a birth cohort of 2-year-old children. Rates of eczema varied significantly with parental atopy and solid feeding: children of atopic parents given solid food during the first 4 months had over two-and-a-half times the rate of eczema of children not given solid food and who had non-atopic parents. Further, rates of eczema increased in almost direct proportion to the number of different types of solid food that the child had been given during the first 4 months. Breast-feeding had no significant effect on rates of eczema. The results suggest that both parental atopy and diversity in early diet are factors which contribute towards rates of childhood eczema.