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Dietary assessment in children adhering to a food allergen avoidance diet for allergy prevention

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 1384–1390 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this investigation was to verify if avoidance of allergenic foods in children adhering to a food allergen avoidance diet from birth was complete and feasible, and whether dietary assessment can be used as a tool in predicting the outcome of double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs).

Design:

Children adhering to an allergen avoidance diet from birth underwent DBPCFCs. The investigator-dietician verified whether the elimination was complete, using food frequency questionnaires for common allergenic foods.

Setting:

University Medical Centre Groningen, the Netherlands.

Subjects:

Thiry-eight children aged 1–13 years, who were consecutively referred to the University Medical Centre Groningen for DBPCFC between January 2002 and February 2004.

Results:

Among the 38 children undergoing DBPCFCs, there were 15 challenges with egg, 15 with peanut, five with hazelnut and three with soy. Fifteen food challenges (39%) were positive. Small quantities of allergenic foods were inadvertently present in the diets of 13 patients (34%), were possibly present in the diets of 14 patients (37%) and could not be identified in the diets of 11 patients (29%). Seven patients (54%) who had inadvertently ingested small quantities of allergenic foods without sequelae had a positive DBPCFC.

Conclusion:

Dietary avoidance was incomplete and not feasible in most cases. Tolerance of small amounts of allergenic foods does not preclude positive challenge reactions. Dietary assessment does not seem a useful tool in predicting the outcome of DBPCFC in children adhering to an elimination diet.

Sponsorship:

The Stichting Astma Bestrijding (Foundation for the Prevention of Asthma), The Netherlands.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Allergy and Paediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

    B J Vlieg-Boerstra, C M A Bijleveld, J Kukler, E J Duiverman, S A A Wolt-Plompen & A E J Dubois

  2. Department of Allergology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

    S van der Heide & A E J Dubois

Authors
  1. B J Vlieg-Boerstra
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  2. S van der Heide
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  3. C M A Bijleveld
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  4. J Kukler
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  5. E J Duiverman
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  6. S A A Wolt-Plompen
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  7. A E J Dubois
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B J Vlieg-Boerstra.

Additional information

Guarantor: BJ Vlieg-Boerstra

Contributors: BJV-B was responsible for the study design, the performance of the study and the writing of the paper, under direct supervision of AEJD and EJD. CMAB, Svan der H and SAAW-P collaborated in the study design, discussion and interpretation of the results and comments upon the manuscript. JK performed the food challenges.

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Vlieg-Boerstra, B., van der Heide, S., Bijleveld, C. et al. Dietary assessment in children adhering to a food allergen avoidance diet for allergy prevention. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1384–1390 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602468

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