Very early introduction of semisolid foods in preterm infants does not increase food allergies or atopic dermatitis

Publication date: Available online 4 July 2018
Source:Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Author(s): Jaakko MS Yrjänä, Teppo Koski, Helena Törölä, Marita Valkama, Petri Kulmala
BackgroundThe optimal age for the introduction of solid foods for infants has long been a controversial issue.ObjectiveThis study aims to determine whether the early introduction of semisolid foods influences the incidence of food allergy or atopic dermatitis among preterm infants.MethodsRetrospective data from 464 preterm infants born in Oulu University Hospital between 2008 and 2012 were analysed. Age- and sexmatched full-term control children from the general population were identified. The primary outcome of the study was the difference in timing of the introduction of complementary feeding between preterm and fullterm infants. The secondary outcomes were the incidences of food allergies and atopic dermatitis by the ages of one and two years.ResultsSemisolid food was introduced at the median corrected age of 1.4 months for all preterm infants, at 1.9 months for late preterm, at 0.9 months for very preterm and at 0.1 months for extremely preterm infants.The cumulative incidence, either of food allergies or of atopic dermatitis, did not differ significantly between preterm infants and controls by the ages of one and two years.ConclusionThe very early introduction of complementary foods into the diet of preterm babies did not increase the incidence of food allergies or atopic dermatitis even among the most preterm infants. This finding supports the hypothesis that the gut-associated lymphoid tissue of preterm infants is ready to encounter food proteins and to begin the maturation process within 3-6 months of birth, regardless of the gestational age.



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