Children with allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma treated with elimination diet

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Infant allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma are common conditions.
• Food allergies are frequently observed in infants with these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a hypo-allergenic diet in infants diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma.
• To investigate the long-term allergy development in infants following dietary intervention.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 188 infants with allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma was studied.
• Infants were placed on a hypo-allergenic diet, and symptom improvement was monitored.

Main Results:

• 90% (169 out of 188) of infants showed improvement in allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma symptoms.
• The majority of infants "outgrew" their food allergies over time.
• A significant proportion of these infants later developed inhalant allergies.

Conclusions:

• Hypo-allergenic diets are highly effective in managing allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma in infants.
• While food allergies may be transient, there is a notable progression to inhalant allergies in later childhood.