Objective:

To assess the impact of earlier egg introduction on the prevalence of egg allergy in Australian infants.

Approach:

• Cohort Comparison: Researchers compared two cohorts of infants aged 11 to 15 months: one from 2007-2011 and another from 2018-2019, focusing on changes in egg introduction practices.
• Data Collection: Infants were recruited through immunization centers, and egg allergy was assessed using skin prick tests and oral food challenges.
• Statistical Analysis: The study employed direct regression standardization to account for differences in allergy risk factors across cohorts.

Key Findings:

• Estimated egg allergy prevalence decreased from 9.2% in the earlier cohort to 7.6% in the later cohort, an absolute reduction of 1.6 percentage points.
• The proportion of infants introduced to egg by 6 months increased from 25% to 57%.
• The reduction in egg allergy was more pronounced among infants with early eczema, decreasing from 34.6% to 21.9%.

Interpretation:

Limitations:

• The study design compared cohorts from different time periods, which may introduce unmeasured confounding factors.
• Participation in skin prick testing was lower in the later cohort.
• Age at egg introduction was reported retrospectively by parents.

Conclusion:

Sources:

• JAMA Pediatrics