Allergy, baby formula link

A research study by a team drawn from University College Cork and Cork University Hospital plans to investigate the influence of a new infant formula on the occurrence of eczema in babies by comparing the new formula with an existing standard formula.

The research team, which is drawn from the department of paediatrics and child health at UCC and paediatrics division at CUH, will focus on infants with allergic parents or siblings because such infants have a higher risk of developing allergies themselves.

Prof Jonathan Hourihane of UCC and CUH said the occurrence of allergic diseases such as eczema and asthma in children had shown a sharp increase over the past 20-30 years, with approximately one in five infants developing eczema between one month and six months of age.

According to Prof Hourihane, breastfeeding is the best early food for infants, particularly for babies with an increased risk of becoming allergic. However, there can be several reasons why mothers choose not to breastfeed and instead opt to initiate formula feeding after birth.

The new formula being tested by the research team does not contain whole proteins but instead contains proteins which are pre-digested and broken down into smaller pieces, making them less likely to cause an allergic reaction, he explained.

Prebiotics, which are natural compounds found in breastmilk that encourage healthy bacteria in the infant gut, are also added. This formula will be compared with a standard infant formula which contains whole proteins and does not include prebiotics.

Prof Hourihane and his research nurses, Sinead Lafford and Deirdre Daly, are anxious to hear from women who are pregnant if they or their partners suffer from asthma, eczema, hay fever or food allergies. For further details, contact 021 4901258.