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. 2023 Dec 20;16(1):21.
doi: 10.3390/nu16010021.

Nurturing Infants to Prevent Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergies: A Longitudinal Study

Emilia Vassilopoulou  1 , Dimitrios Rallis  2 , Gregorio Paolo Milani  1   3 , Carlo Agostoni  1   3 , Gavriela Feketea  4   5 , Maria Lithoxopoulou  6 , Evangelia Stefanaki  7 , Fani Ladomenou  8 , Nikolaos Douladiris  9 , Caoimhe Cronin  10 , Codruta Alina Popescu  11 , Raluca Maria Pop  4 , Ioana Corina Bocsan  4 , Sophia Tsabouri  2
Affiliations

Nurturing Infants to Prevent Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergies: A Longitudinal Study

Emilia Vassilopoulou et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) at a young age often precedes the development of food allergies. Although AD affects millions of infants worldwide, prenatal and postnatal risk factors, and their association with the development of food allergies later on, are not fully elucidated. This study seeks to investigate AD epidemiology in infancy and its risk factors, examining early-life factors (both prenatal and postnatal) that could contribute to the later development of food allergies.

Methods: Between January 2019 and December 2019, 501 infants were included in this prospective cohort study. Longitudinal data collection was performed through maternal interviews, the first one conducted within three days after the delivery and the second within 24 to 36 months after the delivery, encompassing variables such as demographics, family history of atopy, maternal smoking, antibiotic use during pregnancy, the mode of delivery, breastfeeding history, food practices, and greenness exposure within 3 days from delivery, while they were still in the hospital.

Results: Maternal smoking during pregnancy (p = 0.001) and an older sibling atopy history (p = 0.03) was significantly linked to AD incidence. Cesarean section delivery (p = 0.04) was associated with a higher risk of food allergies in infants with AD. Having a garden at home correlated with a higher likelihood of AD (p = 0.01), and food elimination without medical guidance (p = 0.02) due to AD correlated with an elevated risk of food allergies.

Conclusions: Encouraging timely allergenic food introduction while promoting dietary diversity, rich in plant-based foods, maternal smoking cessation, and professional dietary guidance may help minimize AD and food allergy risk. Future studies should address the role of greenness in the development of AD and food allergies.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis; atopic march; diet diversity; food allergy; mode of birth; prenatal smoking; siblings.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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