Related Experiment Videos
Early feeding of preterm infants and allergic symptoms during childhood
E Savilahti1, P Tuomikoski-Jaakkola, A L Järvenpää
1Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
Exclusive human milk feeding in infancy was linked to more allergic symptoms later in childhood compared to cow's milk formula. This suggests a higher risk of food allergy in exclusively breastfed infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergology
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Premature infants are at increased risk for allergic diseases.
- Long-term effects of infant feeding practices on allergy development require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term incidence of allergic symptoms in premature infants based on feeding type.
- To identify feeding-related risk factors for symptomatic allergy in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A follow-up study of 69 premature infants assessed at a mean age of 11.4 years.
- Comparison of allergic symptoms between infants exclusively fed human milk versus those fed adapted cow's milk formula.
- Logistic regression analysis to determine associations between feeding type and symptomatic allergy.
Main Results:
- Infants exclusively fed human milk (n=38) showed significantly more allergic symptoms (mean 1.6) than those fed cow's milk formula (n=31, mean 0.6; p=0.0025).
- The excess symptoms were primarily cutaneous and food-associated.
- Feeding type was the only significant predictor of symptomatic allergy (OR 3.15, p=0.03).
Conclusions:
- Exclusive human milk feeding in early infancy was associated with a higher incidence of allergic symptoms in premature children.
- These findings suggest that specific infant feeding strategies may influence the risk of developing food allergy.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind this association.
Abstract:
A follow-up study of 69 premature infants showed that at a mean age of 11.4 years they had a cumulative incidence of allergic symptoms similar to that reported in unselected series. The 38 premature infants fed exclusively with human milk to the age of four months had more allergic symptoms than the 31 premature infants fed with adapted cow's milk formula from birth (mean number of symptoms 1.6 versus 0.6, p = 0.0025). The excess of symptoms was mostly cutaneous, and often associated with a specific food. In logistic regression models, the only variable with a statistically significant association (standardized odds ratio 3.15, 95% confidence interval 1.12-8.8, p = 0.03) with symptomatic allergy was the type of feed. The frequency of positive skin prick tests and the mean levels of serum IgE and antibodies to cow's milk were similar in the two groups. We infer that food allergy was more common in the group fed with human milk.