A JAMA Pediatrics study found that egg allergy rates fell after infant feeding guidelines changed to recommend introducing eggs during the first year of life, with the largest reduction seen among children with eczema.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Introducing eggs to infants at about six months of age was associated with a lower risk of egg allergy, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics that examined allergy outcomes among roughly 7,200 Australian children.
The study found an 18% overall reduction in egg allergies after infant feeding guidance changed to recommend earlier exposure to eggs and other allergenic foods. Among children with eczema, who are considered at higher risk for food allergies, the reduction was nearly 40%.
Researchers compared two groups of one-year-old infants in Australia. One group received checkups between 2007 and 2011, before updated feeding guidelines were in place. The second group received checkups between 2018 and 2019, after Australia revised its recommendations in 2016 to encourage introducing eggs and other allergens during the first year of life.
Jennifer Koplin, associate professor of childhood allergy and epidemiology at the University of Queensland in Australia and the study’s lead researcher, said the results show that the guideline shift was linked to measurable changes in allergy rates.
Koplin said the findings provide “population-level evidence that updated infant feeding guidelines recommending earlier introduction of egg led to measurable reductions.”
The study reflects a major reversal from earlier infant feeding recommendations. Until the early 2000s, health authorities commonly advised parents to delay egg introduction until children were between one and three years old. The belief at the time was that postponing exposure to allergenic foods could help prevent allergic reactions.
In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that high-risk infants avoid eggs until age two. That guidance later changed after research found little evidence that delayed introduction was beneficial. According to “Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition,” the AAP updated its guidance in 2008 to suggest introducing eggs by six months.
Australia’s 2016 guideline update created the conditions for the new study by allowing researchers to compare allergy rates before and after the recommendation changed. The shift followed similar developments involving peanuts, with updated guidance in the United States and other countries now supporting earlier introduction of allergenic foods. A Mercola.com article cited in the provided materials noted that earlier peanut introduction has also been recommended, and author Robin Nixon Pompa’s book “Allergy-Free Kids” emphasizes early oral exposure as a way to reduce allergy risk.
In the Australian study, parents completed questionnaires about feeding practices and allergy history. Infants also received skin prick tests to detect egg white allergies.
The proportion of infants introduced to eggs at six months more than doubled between the two study periods. In the 2007–2011 group, 25% of infants had been introduced to eggs at six months. In the 2018–2019 group, that figure rose to 57%.
Egg allergy prevalence declined from 9.2% in the earlier group to 7.6% in the later group, amounting to an 18% decrease. The decline was more substantial among children with eczema, falling from 34.6% to 21.9%.
The findings are consistent with research on early peanut introduction, which showed a 43% reduction in peanut allergies, according to sources cited in the provided information. Egg allergies affect about 1% of children and can cause anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction, according to Children’s Health Defense.
Dr. Gina Coscia, an attending physician in allergy and immunology at Northwell Health in New York who was not involved in the study, said the results align with what researchers understand about how the immune system responds to allergens.
“What we know about the immune system is that if an allergen is introduced initially through skin exposure, the body actually produces an allergic response,” Coscia said. “However, if the initial introduction of a food allergen is through oral exposure, through ingestion of the food, that actually produces a protective response to the allergen.”
Coscia said that immune response is the basis for recommending early introduction of allergenic solids. She said infants with eczema are especially vulnerable because they have an “impaired skin barrier.”
Coscia also cautioned that parents should introduce allergens under a pediatrician’s guidance. She said ongoing exposure matters after the initial introduction, noting that “maintenance of this allergen several times a week is critical in order to remain tolerant to the food.”
Eggs are also a nutrient-dense food that provide choline and protein important for infant growth, according to a NaturalNews.com article cited in the provided materials.
The findings add to broader discussion about why food allergies have increased. The provided materials note that the study’s results align with the theory that rising food allergy rates may be linked to modern hygiene practices and delayed allergen exposure, a concept discussed in “Allergy-Free Kids.”
Food allergies now affect one in 13 U.S. children, according to Food Allergy Research and Education data cited by Mercola.com. Researchers and physicians said the new egg study supports current recommendations in Australia and elsewhere that encourage early introduction of allergenic foods during infancy.
While the findings point to a measurable reduction in egg allergy rates after feeding guidelines changed, experts said parents should consult their pediatrician before introducing allergens, especially if a child has eczema, previous reactions or other risk factors.
The study’s broader conclusion is that changes in infant feeding practices may help reduce the burden of food allergies at the population level, particularly when allergenic foods such as eggs are introduced orally during the first year of life and maintained regularly in the diet.
Source: Natural News
Original article
Comments