One of the questions that are never missing when celebrating a children’s birthday party is about children’s food allergies. Nuts, milk or eggs are the most common but there are also those who have certain fruits such as peaches or kiwi. The truth is that many wonder why in the 21st century there are so many allergies that perhaps were not known or developed before.
Research from McMaster University, after analyzing data from 2.8 million children from different countries, has shed new light on the elements that, in the early stages of life, are determining factors for a child to develop food allergies. The work allows us to refine the understanding of a health problem that affects a growing number of families around the world.
The authors of the study start from a clear premise: food allergies do not respond to a single or simple cause. On the contrary, the analysis concludes that its appearance is conditioned by a complex interaction of genetic, environmental, microbial and social factors. This integrated vision represents an advance compared to previous approaches more focused on isolated explanations and helps explain why allergy rates have increased unevenly depending on regions and contexts.
Around 5% of children develop a food allergy before they turn six years old.
To reach these conclusions, the research team carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of 190 studies focused on childhood food allergy. These included works that confirmed the diagnosis through food provocation tests, considered the reference method to identify this type of reactions. The result of this exhaustive process was the discovery that around 5% of children develop an allergy to some food before turning six years old, a figure that highlights the magnitude of the phenomenon.
The study, published in the specialized magazine JAMA Pediatricsemphasizes that the factors involved begin to act from very early stages of development. In this sense, the researchers systematically analyzed more than 340 potential variables that can influence the appearance of allergies, from hereditary conditions to aspects related to the environment in which the child grows up.
The “perfect storm”
The main author of the work, Deyassistant professor in the Departments of Medicine and Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University, summarized the study’s focus by noting, “Our study highlights that genetics alone cannot fully explain trends in food allergies, pointing to interactions, or a ‘perfect storm,’ between the genesthe skin healthhe microbiome and the environmental exposures». This statement emphasizes the need to approach the problem from a perspectiva multidimensionaltaking into account how different biological and social elements are combined.
Babies who try peanuts after 12 months are more than twice as likely to develop an allergy to this legume
In this way, the research reinforces the idea that the prevention and treatment of food allergies must go beyond the strictly genetic field. The health of the skin in the first months of life, the balance of the intestinal microbiome and the environmental conditions in which the child develops are part of a network that can tip the balance towards tolerance or, on the contrary, towards an allergic reaction.
In its final analysis, the study identifies a series of factors present in early childhood that increase the risk of developing allergies food, opening the door to future research aimed at early prevention.
The study systematically examined more than 340 different factors that can influence allergy. Some of the factors identified in early childhood that increase the risk of food allergies include:
The four risk factors
- Babies who suffer eczema During the first year of life they are three to four times more likely to develop a food allergy; wheezing or nasal allergies also increase the risk.
- Children with allergic parents or siblings were more likely to develop a food allergy, especially when both parents had allergies.
- Waiting too long to introduce allergenic foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or other common allergens can increase the chance of developing a food allergy. Researchers found that babies who try peanuts after 12 months are more than twice as likely to develop an allergy to this legume.
- Another important factor is the use of antibiotics. The study highlights how the use of antibiotics during the first month of life can increase the risk of food allergy. Taking antibiotics in later childhood and during pregnancy may increase the risk, but to a lesser extent.
The findings help identify which babies are most at risk and could benefit most from early prevention strategies. The study also revealed factors in early childhood that were not associated with an increased risk of food allergies in children, such as low birth weight, postterm birth, partial breastfeeding, high-material diet, and stress during pregnancy.
date: 2026-02-11 04:18:00
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