SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2004

12/7/04

Breast feeding and atopic dermatitis

Summary
Background - Most investigators and authors of meta-analyses have concluded that breast feeding (BF) for at least the first 3-4 months of the infant's life is associated with a reduced subsequent likelihood of atopic dermatitis (AD) in the child involved.

Findings - Eigenmann of the University Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland pointed out that there are conflicting results and open issues in some studies in this area. BF may actually be detrimental when the child so fed develops allergies to food antigens passed in the breast milk after they were ingested by the mother. Thus, one cannot always rule out the possibility of food allergy in a BF child.

Reference
Allergy 2004;59 Suppl 78:42-4

Editor's Comments
The points raised in this "Perspective" type article by a leading investigator of food allergy in Europe may be disturbing to those who believe that BF for much of the first year of the child's life will significantly reduce the chances of that child becoming atopic. Because of my limited contact with allergic problems in young children, I consulted a colleague highly experienced in that area. This colleague stated that he agreed with most of Eigenmann's thesis. BF is not completely preventive. However, the alternatives (allowing feeding of potentially allergenic foods from early infancy) leads to much more likely and/or worse allergic consequences.

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