The impact of immunomodulatory factors from maternal diet during pregnancy on cow's milk allergy in offspring - A pilot study in the paediatric population of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship

Food Allergy Risk: A Comprehensive Review of Maternal Interventions for Food Allergy Prevention

Food allergy represents a global health problem impacting patients' and caregivers' quality of life and contributing to increased healthcare costs. Efforts to identify preventive measures starting from pregnancy have recently intensified. This review aims to provide an overview of the role of maternal factors in food allergy prevention. Several studies indicate that avoiding food allergens during pregnancy does not reduce the risk of developing food allergies. International guidelines unanimously discourage avoidance diets due to potential adverse effects on essential nutrient intake and overall health for both women and children. Research on probiotics and prebiotics during pregnancy as preventive measures is promising, though evidence remains limited. Consequently, guidelines lack specific recommendations for their use in preventing food allergies. Similarly, given the absence of conclusive evidence, it is not possible to formulate definitive conclusions on the supplementation of vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), and other antioxidant substances. A combination of maternal interventions, breastfeeding, and early introduction of foods to infants can reduce the risk of food allergies in the child. Further studies are needed to clarify the interaction between genetics, immunological pathways, and environmental factors.

Introduction of Complementary Foods and the Risk of Sensitization and Allergy in Children up to Three Years of Age

BACKGROUND

Allergy is known to be influenced by both diet and the immune system. In addition, the time of first exposure to food allergens and their type appear to play a particularly important role in the development of allergies.

AIM

To determine the influence of the time of exposure, and the type, degree of processing, and frequency of supply of complementary foods and the development of sensitization and allergies in children up to three years of age. Materials and metods: The study was conducted prospectively in two stages. The first stage included 106 children aged 6-18 months, while the second stage included 86 children selected from the first stage, after a further 12 months. A questionnaire based on validated FFQ sheets was created for the purpose of the study. The following were assessed: nutrition in the first year of life (time, type, degree of processing), frequency of supply of complementary foods and allergic symptoms, sIgE concentration against 10 foods and 10 inhalant allergens. Four groups of patients were formed. This paper presents the results of the second stage of the study.

RESULTS

For all participants, allergenic products, viz. hen's egg, milk, peanuts, wheat, soybean, fish, tree nuts and shellfish were typically introduced at an age of 7 to 12 months. During this period, egg white was introduced in 47 (85.5%) children with allergy (p = 0.894), in 29 (82.9%) with allergy and sensitization (p = 1.00), and in 38 (82.6%) children with sensitization alone (p = 0.533). Milk was introduced at 7 to 12 months in 35 (64.8%) children with allergy (p = 0.64), 22 (64.7%) with both allergy and sensitization (p = 0.815), and 26 (57.8%) children with sensitization alone (p = 0.627). For other foods, the time of introduction appeared not to significantly influence the presence of allergies or sensitization. Heat-treated peanuts were introduced significantly more often to children without allergies and without sensitization (n = 9; 56.2%) than those without allergies but with sensitization (n = 6; 54.5%) (p = 0.028). Fish was consumed significantly more often by children with allergies, i.e., 1-3x/week (n = 43; 79.6%) than children without allergies, i.e., 1-3x/month (n = 9; 30%) (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

No relationship was observed between the introduction time of complementary foods, including allergenic ones, or their type, and the development of allergies and sensitization in children up to three years of age. The degree of processing and the frequency of supply of products may affect the development of allergies and sensitization.

Epithelial barrier hypothesis: Effect of the external exposome on the microbiome and epithelial barriers in allergic disease

Environmental exposure plays a major role in the development of allergic diseases. The exposome can be classified into internal (e.g., aging, hormones, and metabolic processes), specific external (e.g., chemical pollutants or lifestyle factors), and general external (e.g., broader socioeconomic and psychological contexts) domains, all of which are interrelated. All the factors we are exposed to, from the moment of conception to death, are part of the external exposome. Several hundreds of thousands of new chemicals have been introduced in modern life without our having a full understanding of their toxic health effects and ways to mitigate these effects. Climate change, air pollution, microplastics, tobacco smoke, changes and loss of biodiversity, alterations in dietary habits, and the microbiome due to modernization, urbanization, and globalization constitute our surrounding environment and external exposome. Some of these factors disrupt the epithelial barriers of the skin and mucosal surfaces, and these disruptions have been linked in the last few decades to the increasing prevalence and severity of allergic and inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, and asthma. The epithelial barrier hypothesis provides a mechanistic explanation of how these factors can explain the rapid increase in allergic and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we discuss factors affecting the planet's health in the context of the 'epithelial barrier hypothesis,' including climate change, pollution, changes and loss of biodiversity, and emphasize the changes in the external exposome in the last few decades and their effects on allergic diseases. In addition, the roles of increased dietary fatty acid consumption and environmental substances (detergents, airborne pollen, ozone, microplastics, nanoparticles, and tobacco) affecting epithelial barriers are discussed. Considering the emerging data from recent studies, we suggest stringent governmental regulations, global policy adjustments, patient education, and the establishment of individualized control measures to mitigate environmental threats and decrease allergic disease.