19: Exploring Factors Influencing the Development of Food Allergy in Infancy

Music City Center 

Food allergies result from the complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors over time. In this study, we will utilize birth cohort study data that target food allergy and track births over time, and will use incidence data from two time points to quantify the impact of risk. We used data from the Japanese Birth Cohort Study, which followed 1550 individuals from gestational age. That study began recruiting between 2003 and 2005 and continues to track to the present. We searched for children who had not developed food allergy at 1 year of age and who would develop food allergy at 3 years of age. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the risk of developing food allergy given the explanatory variables. Maternal history of allergic disease, infant eczema, atopic dermatitis, egg removal had an increased risk of food allergy. Duvets had a reduced risk of food allergy. In genetic factors, there was a trend toward an increased risk of developing food allergy if the mother had a history of allergic disease or had already developed other allergies. In environmental factors, elimination of eggs increased the risk, and use of a down comforter decreased the risk.

food allergy

infants

genetic factors

environmental factors

infant eczema

atopic dermatitis 

Section on Statistics in Epidemiology