World first Murdoch study links food allergies in babies with reduced lung function

Babies who have food allergies are more likely to have asthma, and reduced lung function later in childhood, a world first study from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has found. 

 

Published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, the study found that early life food allergy was associated with an increased risk of both asthma and reduced lung growth at six years of age.

 

Murdoch Children’s Associate Professor Rachel Peters said this was the first study to examine the relationship between challenge-confirmed food allergy in infancy and asthma and poorer lung health later in childhood.

 

To reach their findings the researchers examined 5,276 infants from the HealthNuts study, who underwent skin prick testing to common food allergens, including peanut and egg and oral food challenges to test for food allergy. At six years, children were followed up with further food allergy and lung function tests.

 

The study found that by six years of age, 13.7 per cent of participants reported a diagnosis of asthma. Babies with a food allergy were almost four times more likely to develop asthma at six years of age, compared to children without a food allergy. The impact was greatest in children whose food allergy persisted to age six as opposed to those who had outgrown their allergy. Children with a food allergy were also more likely to have reduced lung function.

 

Associate Professor Peters said food allergy in infancy, whether it was resolved or not, was linked to poorer respiratory outcomes in children.

 

“This association is concerning given reduced lung growth in childhood is associated with health problems in adulthood including respiratory and heart conditions,” she said.

 

“Lung development is related to a child’s height and weight and children with a food allergy can be shorter and lighter compared to their peers without an allergy. This could explain the link between food allergy and lung function. There are also similar immune responses involved in the development of both food allergy and asthma,” she continued.

 

“The growth of infants with food allergy should be monitored. We encourage children who are avoiding foods because of their allergy to be under the care of a dietician so that nutrition can be catered for to ensure healthy growth.”

 

Food allergy affects 10 per cent of babies and 5 per cent of children and adolescents. 

 

Murdoch Children’s and University of Melbourne Professor Shyamali Dharmage said the findings would help clinicians tailor patient care and encourage greater vigilance around monitoring respiratory health.

 

Clinicians and parents should also be vigilant for asthma symptoms in children with food allergy because poorly controlled asthma was a risk factor for severe food-induced allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, she continued. 

 

Researchers from Deakin University, The Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Queensland also contributed to the study, which may be accessed in full here.