Changing advice for parents on food allergies

Dr Debbie Palmer, lead investigator on ORIGINS' allergy studies, SYMBA and PrEggNut, appeared on Channel 7's Sunrise program to discuss the changing advice for parents on food allergies. 

The Sunrise interview came off the back of an ABC South West radio interview and online article in which Dr Palmer explained that many parents are confused about introducing certain foods to babies due to a change in messaging over the past five years.

Dr Palmer went on to say that in the early 2000s parents in the United States were told babies and young children should avoid common allergic foods, such as peanuts and eggs, to prevent allergies.

But studies, including Dr Palmer's own, in the past few years have found the opposite.

Dr Palmer discussed the changing approach, learned from initial findings from PrEggNut and SYMBA, of introducing common allergen foods during pregnancy or earlier in childhood to prevent the development of allergies in those children.

"This is contradictory to what parents have been told in the past, but we are learning that early exposure can actually tolerise the baby, so he or she has a reduced chance of developing allergies."

By age one, 10% of babies will develop a food allergy, with egg and peanut the most common allergic foods.

Though it has become more common knowledge that regular inclusion of egg and peanut in solid foods can reduce food allergies, this may be too late for some babies. The SYMBA and PrEggNut studies are looking at the impact of what a mother consumes during pregnancy and breastfeeding has on reducing the chances of her baby developing food allergies.

PrEggNut is still looking for pregnant mothers to take part in the research. SYMBA recruitment has now closed.

Read the ABC article here

Watch Dr Palmer's interview on Sunrise