Egg allergy in infancy predicts respiratory allergic disease by 4 years of age

Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2000 Aug;11(3):162-7. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2000.00077.x.

Abstract

Sensitization to hen's egg early in life has been proposed as a predictor for respiratory allergic disease during childhood. However, symptomatic egg allergy in infancy has not been studied in this context. In 1989, a cohort of consecutive births was recruited. Data on family history of atopy and environmental factors were collected. At 4 years of age, 1,218 children were seen of whom 981 were skin-prick tested with a range of food and aero-allergens. Of the 1,218 children, 29 (2.4%) had suffered symptomatic egg allergy (20 during infancy). Egg allergy in infancy was associated with increased respiratory (asthma, rhinitis) allergic disease (odds ratio [OR] 5.0, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.1-22.3; p < 0.05) at 4 years of age, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 55.0%. The addition of infantile eczema to egg allergy increased the PPV to 80% whereas the addition of family history of atopy had no effect. Egg allergy also increased aero-allergen sensitization (OR 6.1, CI 1.1-37.5; PPV 61.1%; p < 0.05). As a predictor for respiratory allergic disease and aeroallergen sensitization, it carried a high specificity but poor sensitivity. Hence, egg allergy in infancy, especially when coexisting with eczema, increases respiratory allergic symptoms and aero-allergen sensitization in early childhood.

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Food Hypersensitivity / complications*
  • Food Hypersensitivity / epidemiology
  • Forecasting
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Ovum*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radioallergosorbent Test
  • Respiratory Hypersensitivity / etiology*
  • Skin Tests
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology