Background: Food allergy is a component of the atopic march and may have effects on asthma. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for confirmed immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergies and their impact on the clinical picture in preschool children with asthma.
Methods: Clinical history and allergic assessment results were obtained from medical records and analyzed retrospectively. Preschool children with asthma were included in the study and the characteristics of food allergy and asthma were evaluated. The patients were grouped as those with food allergy (Group I, n = 60) and those without (Group II, n = 98).
Results: In patients with food allergy and asthma, the number of episodes requiring systemic steroids in the last year (p = 0.002), atopic dermatitis (p = 0.001), parental atopic disease (p = 0.009) and aeroallergen sensitivity rates (p < 0.001) was higher than patients without food allergies. The use of medium or high doses of inhaled steroids to achieve asthma control was more frequent in patients with food allergies (p = 0.014). Parental history of atopic disease [p = 0.007, odds ratio (OR): 3.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-7.77)], atopic dermatitis (p = 0.017, OR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.19-6.57), starting complementary food after 6 months (p = 0.004, OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 1.5-10.0) and having aeroallergen sensitivity (p < 0.001, OR: 6.01, 95% CI: 2.21-16.29) were identified as significant risk factors for food allergy.
Conclusion: Asthmatic preschool children with food allergies are more likely to have a parental atopic disease, atopic dermatitis, aeroallergen sensitivity and starting complementary food after 6 months. These patients experience more asthma attacks and need higher doses of steroids.
Keywords: Food allergy; asthma; preschool children.
Food allergy and asthma in preschool children affect each other mutually. Food allergy is a component of the atopic march, a risk factor for the development of asthma, and is also included in the modified asthma predictive index in children with wheezing. Therefore, the manifestation of asthma-related symptoms such as cough and wheezing along with food allergy in this age group may facilitate the decision to start asthma control therapy. On the other hand, having asthma is a risk factor for food-related reactions to be more serious. In the current study, we compared patients with and without food allergies. We determined that other atopic diseases (allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis) are more common in children with food allergies, and asthma control can be achieved with higher inhaler steroid doses.
© The Author(s) [2022]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.