Published online October 1, 2008
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 Supplement October 2008, pp. S105-S112 (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-1315n)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Luccioli, S.
Right arrow Articles by Fein, S. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Luccioli, S.
Right arrow Articles by Fein, S. B.
Related Collections
Right arrow Nutrition & Metabolism
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE


Maternally Reported Food Allergies and Other Food-Related Health Problems in Infants: Characteristics and Associated Factors

Stefano Luccioli, MD, Marianne Ross, DVM, MPH, Judith Labiner-Wolfe, PhD and Sara B. Fein, PhD

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to identify the frequency, demographics, and diagnostic characteristics associated with maternally reported food allergies and other food-related health problems among infants aged ≤1 year.

METHODS. We analyzed data from the 2005–2007 Infant Feeding Practices Study II, a longitudinal survey of 2441 US mothers of healthy singletons from pregnancy through their infant's first year. Doctor diagnosis and symptoms-based criteria were used to identify a probable-food-allergic group from maternal reports of infant health problems with food.

RESULTS. More than one fifth of the 2441 mothers reported that their infant had a food-related problem; 6% (n = 143) had a probable food allergy, and 15% (n = 359) had other food-related problems. Forty percent of the infants with a food-related health problem were evaluated by a doctor. Gastrointestinal symptoms were more commonly reported in early infancy compared with skin-related symptoms, which were reported in later infancy, and 27% received medical treatment for the symptoms. Characteristics associated with increased incidence of probable food allergy included family histories of food allergy and type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, living in rural or urban areas, being black, and being male. Among all infants with a food-related health problem, the majority experienced their first problem by 6 months of age. Foods recognized to be major allergens were most commonly reported as the source of an allergy.

CONCLUSIONS. Food-related problems occurred at a high frequency in the first year of life. A better understanding of the demographics, family history, disease manifestations, and diagnoses may provide insight into public health efforts to minimize or prevent food allergies in infancy and to help differentiate food-allergic problems from nonallergic food problems in this age group.

Key Words: food allergy • food hypersensitivity • food intolerance • diet • infants

Abbreviations: IFPS—Infant Feeding Practices Study

Accepted Jun 4, 2008.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 PediatricsHome page
S. B. Fein, L. M. Grummer-Strawn, and T. N.K. Raju
Infant Feeding and Care Practices in the United States: Results From the Infant Feeding Practices Study II
Pediatrics, October 1, 2008; 122(Supplement_2): S25 - S27.
[Full Text] [PDF]