Takeaway
- Childhood food allergy (FA) and food allergen sensitisation (FAS) were associated with an increased risk of asthma during adulthood.
- Childhood FAS, but not FA, was associated with an increased risk of rhinitis in adulthood.
Why this matters
- Clinicians should follow-up children with FA and FAS to facilitate early detection and treatment of subsequent allergic airway diseases (AADs), especially asthma.
Study design
- A longitudinal study included 1456 children who were born between January 1989 and February 1990, identified from the Isle of Wight (IOW) birth cohort study.
- All children were followed up at fixed time points from ages 1 to 26 years for FA and FAS status.
- AADs were assessed from 4 years onwards.
- Funding: National Institutes of Health and others.
Key results
- FA at 4 years was significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma at (adjusted OR [aOR]; 95% CI):
- 18 years (2.75; 1.53-4.92; P=.001); and
- 26 years (2.62; 1.32-5.20; P=.006).
- FAS in symptomatic infants at 1 or 2 years was associated with an increased risk of asthma at (aOR; 95% CI):
- 18 years (4.35; 1.74-10.87; P=.002); and
- 26 years (3.07; 1.18-7.98; P=.021).
- FA was not associated with an increased risk of adult rhinitis.
- FAS at ages 4 and 10 years was associated with an increased risk of:
- asthma at (aOR; 95% CI):
- 18 years (5.69; 2.45-13.20 and 5.25; 2.73-10.08, respectively; P<.001 for both); and
- 26 years (4.95; 1.95-12.57 and 3.33; 1.59-6.96, respectively; P=.001 for both).
- asthma at (aOR; 95% CI):
- Childhood FAS at age 4 years was associated with an increased risk of rhinitis at 18 years (aOR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.58-9.78; P=.003).
- Childhood FAS at age 10 years was associated with an increased risk of rhinitis (aOR; 95% CI):
- 18 years (13.26; 4.60-38.25; P<.001); and
- 26 years (2.59; 1.26-5.30; P=.009).
Limitations
- The IOW population was homogenous and predominately comprised Caucasians.
This clinical summary originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
