A new study being presented at the 2024 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston showed that elimination diets in atopic dermatitis (AD) only mildly improved AD lesions in one-third of the study participants.
“Elimination diets aren’t recommended as a treatment for AD, according to guidelines from major allergy organizations,” said pediatric resident Nadia Makkoukdji, MD, lead author of the study, in a press release. “For our study, parents of infants and children with AD completed a survey in a number of sites in a single health care system including the emergency department, allergy, dermatology and general pediatrics clinic to gauge their perceptions of the effects of elimination diets on development of food allergies.”
Of the 298 parents who completed the survey, 42% reported that certain foods exacerbate their child’s eczema. The foods most frequently identified as triggers were milk (32%), tree nuts, seeds, or peanuts (16%,) and eggs (11%).
Among those who identified food triggers:
19% changed their baby’s formula
20% eliminated certain foods from their diet while breastfeeding and
23% completely removed the suspected foods from their child’s diet.
Survey responses showed 38% observed no improvement in AD after implementing an elimination diet, 35% reported 25% improvement, and 9% noted complete resolution. Additionally, 79% of responders reintroduced eliminated foods without eczema symptoms returning.
The authors concluded that parents’ understanding of AD and its dietary links significantly influenced their children’s diets. However, only one-third of respondents saw mild improvement in AD lesions with elimination diets. The researchers write that larger studies are needed to confirm their findings and further explore the role of diet in AD.
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