Study shows that ASCIA guidelines for infant feeding and allergy prevention may help reduce food anaphylaxis

24 February 2022:

A new study looking at anaphylaxis admissions reports that the rate of increase in serious allergic reactions to food among children has flattened since ASCIA (the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) updated their infant feeding and allergy prevention guidelines.

This study provides the first real-world evidence showing that changes to the guidelines encouraging the introduction of common allergy-causing foods by 12 months of age, were having a measurable impact on the population prevalence of food anaphylaxis presentations to hospital.

Dr Ray Mullins, a clinical immunology/allergy specialist who led the study stated, “A slowing in the rates of increase in food anaphylaxis admissions also occurred in those aged 5-14 years, born after the 2008 changes. These changes were not seen in older teens aged 15 and over who were born before 2008, who could not have benefited from the changing guidelines.”

This is encouraging as the National Allergy Strategy, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia and ASCIA continue to promote the Nip allergies in the Bub website and create new resources to help parents introduce the common allergy causing foods.

Click here to go to the published study.

Click here to visit the Nip allergies in the Bub website.