Increased Risk of Cow Milk Allergy After Cesarean Delivery
Reuters Health Information 2005. © 2005 Reuters Ltd.
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By Will Boggs, MD
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sept 13 - Children delivered by cesarean section
face twice the risk of cow milk allergy or intolerance than other children,
according to a report in the September issue of Allergy.
"If the findings are confirmed and the underlying mechanism is shown to be
tied to an altered intestinal microbial flora, this would open up very
exciting future possibilities of treatment of allergic diseases," Dr. Merete
Eggesboe from Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, told Reuters
Health.
Dr. Eggesboe and associates, who previously reported a similar association
between cesarean section and egg, fish, and nut allergy, investigated
possible links between cesarean delivery and cow milk allergy/intolerance in
2656 participants in the Oslo Birth Cohort.
Although there was no association between mode of delivery and parentally
perceived reactions to milk, the authors report, cow milk
allergy/intolerance was twice as common among children delivered by cesarean
section compared to children delivered vaginally.
None of the children previously diagnosed with milk allergy/intolerance but
deemed tolerant by age 2.5 years had been delivered by cesarean section, the
researchers note, suggesting a negative association between becoming
tolerant and cesarean section.
"The results of the present study cannot be explained by differences between
predisposed and not predisposed children and thus provides support for early
intestinal colonization playing a role in the etiology of food allergy," the
investigators conclude.
"We have started a study on the intestinal microflora in children, relating
it to mode of delivery and development of allergic diseases," Dr. Eggesboe
said. "The aim is to study whether any of the observed differences in
intestinal microflora tied to mode of delivery, is also associated with
subsequent development of allergic disease."
Allergy 2005;60:1172-1173.
Leanne Wynne
Midwife in charge of "Women's Business"
Mildura Aboriginal Health Service Mob 0418 371862
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