No evidence that introduction of allergenic foods prior to 6 months of age increases reports of wheeze or eczema in young childhood
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
- Correspondence to S Hasan Arshad
Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, Hants SO16 6YD, UK; sha{at}soton.ac.uk
Implications for practice and research
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■ A delay in the introduction of solid foods beyond 6 months does not protect from allergic disease and should not be recommended.
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■ A randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the specific effect of early versus delayed introduction of solid foods is needed.
Context
A delay in introduction of solid foods has been suggested for decades as a means of preventing atopic diseases due to infants' immature immune system and hence inability to handle a wide variety of food antigens.1 The normal response to food antigens is that of immune tolerance. However, …
