Despite several intervention trials involving modifications to the maternal diet , the effect of maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation in preventing food allergy remains unclear .
Summary Earlier introduction of allergenic foods is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of some food allergies in high-risk infants .
Purpose of review In the past decade , food allergy has been increasingly recognized as an important public health issue .
The role of maternal and infant diet in the development of food allergy has been a major focus of research throughout this period .
Recently , research in this area has moved from observational studies to intervention trials , and the findings from these trials have started to influence infant feeding guidelines .
In this article , we review recent studies of dietary interventions for preventing food allergy , summarize current knowledge and discuss future research directions .
Comparison of food allergy prevalence among Chinese infants in Chongqing, 2009 versus 1999.
BACKGROUND Food allergy prevalence is increasing in developed countries , but these results have not yet been verified in developing countries , especially in China . Our aim was to determine whether the prevalence and characteristics of food allergy have changed over the last 10 years in Chongqing , China . METHODS Two cross-sectional studies were performed , 10 years apart ( 1999 and 2009 ) using the same diagnostic methods in the same age group ( 0 - 24 months ) of the same clinic in Chongqing , China . A total of 401 infants were r and omly selected for the present study . Food allergy was confirmed by food challenge .  spss 15.0 was used to analyze the difference in prevalence . RESULTS Food allergy prevalence increased significantly from 3.5 % in 1999 to 7.7 % in 2009 ( P= 0.017 ) . The prevalence of a positive skin-prick-test response was also increased ( from 9.9 % to 18 % ; P= 0.002 ) . Egg and cow 's milk were still the most common food allergens , which cause skin and gastrointestinal symptoms in most infants . CONCLUSION This is the first study in China to indicate time trends in food allergy prevalence and characteristics . Our data show that in the 10-year period from 1999 to 2009 , the prevalence of food allergy seems to have increased in China
Despite several intervention trials involving modifications to the maternal diet , the effect of maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation in preventing food allergy remains unclear .
Summary Earlier introduction of allergenic foods is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of some food allergies in high-risk infants .
Purpose of review In the past decade , food allergy has been increasingly recognized as an important public health issue .
The role of maternal and infant diet in the development of food allergy has been a major focus of research throughout this period .
Recently , research in this area has moved from observational studies to intervention trials , and the findings from these trials have started to influence infant feeding guidelines .
In this article , we review recent studies of dietary interventions for preventing food allergy , summarize current knowledge and discuss future research directions .