The authors of a systematic review and meta-analysis assessed 342 risk factors for food allergies, classifying them as having major and minor predictive power. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, assessed data from 2.8 million participants in 190 studies.
Paper co-author Derek Chu, MD, PhD, is CIHR Chair in Allergy for Human Development, Child and Youth Health at McMaster University in Canada. His recent exchange with the Reading Room is edited for length and clarity.
What was the background context for this analysis?
Chu: Food allergy is common, often begins in early childhood, and can be life-threatening. How often it develops and which early-life factors most strongly predict risk have been unclear. As part of the upcoming American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)/American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Food Allergy Guidelines, this systematic review and meta-analysis addresses the incidence of food allergy and which risk factors are the strongest and most credible.
We addressed two specific questions:
