Systematic review of nutrient intake and growth in children with multiple IgE-mediated food allergies. Nutr Clin Pract 2013 Dec;28(6):669-75
Date
10/30/2013Pubmed ID
24166727DOI
10.1177/0884533613505870Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84888593734 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 89 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Food allergies affect up to 8% of American children. The current recommended treatment for food allergies is strict elimination of the allergens from the diet. Dietary elimination of nutrient-dense foods may result in inadequate nutrient intake and impaired growth. The purpose of this review was to critically analyze available research on the effect of an elimination diet on nutrient intake and growth in children with multiple food allergies.
METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted and a workgroup was established to critically analyze each relevant article. The findings were summarized and a conclusion was generated.
RESULTS: Six studies were analyzed. One study found that children with food allergies are more likely to be malnourished than children without food allergies. Three studies found that children with multiple food allergies were shorter than children with 1 food allergy. Four studies assessed nutrient intake of children with multiple food allergies, but the inclusion and comparison criteria were different in each of the studies and the findings were conflicting. One study found that children with food allergies who did not receive nutrition counseling were more likely to have inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D.
CONCLUSION: Children with multiple food allergies have a higher risk of impaired growth and may have a higher risk of inadequate nutrient intake than children without food allergies. Until more research is available, we recommend monitoring of nutrition and growth of children with multiple food allergies to prevent possible nutrient deficiencies and to optimize growth.
Author List
Sova C, Feuling MB, Baumler M, Gleason L, Tam JS, Zafra H, Goday PSAuthor
Heidi T. Zafra MD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Body HeightCalcium, Dietary
Child
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Diet
Dietary Fats
Energy Intake
Feeding Behavior
Food Hypersensitivity
Growth
Growth Disorders
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Malnutrition
Nutritional Status
Vitamin D
Vitamins
