Study reveals increase since national guidelines began recommending early introduction of allergenic foods<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2026 (HealthDay News) — While early allergen introduction may reduce long-term allergy risk, it is tied to an increase in emergency department (ED) visits for food reactions in infancy, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global<\/em>.<\/p>\n Aaron Chin, M.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined trends in ED encounters for food-induced reactions (FIRs), including food-induced anaphylaxis (FIA), among children aged 0 to 5 years between 2013 and 2024. The analysis included 67,059 ED visits.<\/p>\n The researchers identified 350 FIRs and 182 FIA visits and found that FIR and FIA annual rates increased significantly over time in infants aged 0 to 1 year (odds ratios, 1.15 and 1.27, respectively). Neither FIR nor FIA rates increased over time among children aged 2 to 5 years. Neither age group showed a change in refractory anaphylactic reactions. Compared with the preguideline years (2013 to 2016), infants in the postguideline period had more than twice the odds of an FIR (odds ratio, 2.21; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.37 to 3.55). There was no change in FIRs between the two time periods among the 2- to 5-year age group (odds ratio, 0.82; 95 percent CI, 0.55 to 1.2).<\/p>\n “This highlights the need for more guidance for parents, particularly in high-risk infants, to ensure safe implementation of early feeding recommendations,” the authors noted in a statement.<\/p>\n