Cork conference: The wide variety of foods from all over the world that children are now eating means that more food allergies are likely to emerge and lead to other allergic conditions, a conference on nutrition has heard.
Prof Jonathan O'Hourihane, professor of paediatrics and child health at University College Cork (UCC), said greater vigilance and screening was required, particularly in those known to be at risk. "There is as yet uncertainty around many of the reasons why a child develops food or other allergies," he said.
"We know that having two parents who have allergies puts offspring at higher risk. Having parents who smoke, being the first born or only child are also risk factors. Protective effects appear to be found for breastfeeding to six months, but there seems to be no benefit for a mother to avoid allergenic foods during pregnancy."
He told the Nutrition Society meeting that researchers were also investigating the effects of probiotic bacteria, but it was too early to determine its effects.
Scientists from UCC have presented the latest research on vitamin D and bone health in children. Studies have shown that many children have inadequate vitamin D status, particularly during winter, and that babies of mothers who have low vitamin D status during pregnancy may also be at risk.
Nearly half the population are now considered vulnerable to developing allergic conditions, delegates heard. Food allergies tend to occur during the first two years in life before most children grow out of them, the conference was told. However, children who suffer from food allergies during their early years are more likely to develop conditions such as rhinitis or asthma later on.
The challenge for parents who have children with food allergies is to get the balance between giving their children a variety of healthy foods and the anxiety that their child may be exposed to an allergen, Kate Grimshaw, a research dietitian from Southampton general hospital, said.