Time to symptom improvement using elimination diets in non‐IgE‐mediated gastrointestinal food allergies. Issue 5 (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lozinsky, Adriana Chebar; Meyer, Rosan; De Koker, Claire; Dziubak, Robert; Godwin, Heather; Reeve, Kate; Dominguez Ortega, Gloria; Shah, Neil
• Is Part Of: Pediatric allergy and immunology. Volume 26:Issue 5(2015)
• Page Start: 403
• Page End: 408
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: Allergy in children -- Periodicals; Immunologic diseases in children -- Periodicals; 617
• DOI: 10.1111/pai.12404
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0905-6157

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="pai12404-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="pai12404-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>The prevalence of food allergy has increased in recent decades, and there is paucity of data on time to symptom improvement using elimination diets in non‐Immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐mediated food allergies. We therefore aimed to assess the time required to improvement of symptoms using a symptom questionnaire for children with non‐IgE‐mediated food allergies on an elimination diet.</p> </sec> <sec id="pai12404-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>A prospective observational study was performed on patients with non‐IgE‐mediated gastrointestinal food allergies on an elimination diet, who completed a questionnaire that includes nine evidence‐based food allergic symptoms before and after the exclusion diet. The questionnaire measured symptoms individually from 0 (no symptom) to 5 (most severe) and collectively from 0 to 45. Children were only enrolled in the study if collectively symptoms improved with the dietary elimination within 4 or 8 weeks.</p> </sec> <sec id="pai12404-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Data from 131 patients were analysed including 90 boys with a median age of 21 months [IQR: 7 to 66]. Based on the symptom questionnaire, 129 patients (98.4%) improved after 4‐week elimination diet and only two patients improved after 8 weeks. A statistically significant difference before and after commencing the elimination diet was seen in all nine recorded symptoms (all p < 0.001), and in the median of overall score (p < 0.001).</p> </sec> <sec id="pai12404-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>This is the first study attempting to establish time to improve after commencing the diet elimination. Almost all children in this study improved within 4 weeks of following the elimination diet, under dietary supervision.</p> </sec> </abstract>