Daily egg intake may reduce sensitisation to common allergenic foods among six- to nine-month-old south African infants: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate sensitization to eggs and other common allergenic foods, allergic symptoms, and fatty acid status among infants after introducing daily eggs as a complementary food for 6 months.

Methods: This secondary analysis used data from a randomized controlled trial of 500 infants aged 6-9 months in Jouberton, South Africa, who were randomly assigned to receive one egg daily, n = 250 (treatment) or no egg, n = 250 (control) for 6 months. Clinical allergy symptoms were assessed with the Childhood Allergy and Immunology Research questionnaire. Infants were tested with a skin prick test for egg sensitization at baseline and at the end of the study for additional food allergens. The fatty acid composition was analyzed in whole blood at the endpoint.

Results: At the endpoint, egg sensitization was 1.9% in the egg intervention group and 2.0% in the control group (aOR 0.936 [95% CI 0.229, 3.822]; p = .926) and all foods sensitization was 7.5% in the egg intervention group and 12.9% in the control group (aOR 0.515 [0.264, 1.005]; p = .052). There were no reported acute egg-related allergy symptoms at baseline and midpoint in the two groups. The incidence of allergic disease during the study was 7.5% in the egg intervention group and 13.4% in the control group (aOR = 0.545 [95% CI: 0.283, 1.048]; p = .069). The total and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-6/omega-3 ratios were higher in the intervention group (β = .173 [0.291, 2.898], p = .021 and β = .198 [0.149, 0.902], p = .007) with no effect on omega-3 fatty acid composition.

Conclusion: Complementary feeding with daily eggs may reduce overall allergic sensitization to common allergenic foods.