Lucy Towbin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> This is a description of another study:
> 
> There actually have been a few studies recently, not double blinded, but
> pretty good, that found similar results as the Israeli peanut correlation.
> One was in Australia, and they recruited several thousand infants at
> immunization clinics.  Parents were given questionaires about egg and egg
> containing products and the ages at which they were introduced into the
> diet. [...] They found that introducing cooked (rather than baked- like
> egg in a muffin) egg into the diet at 4-6 months substantially lowered the
> risk of egg allergy than later introduction even after controlling for
> family history of allergy or infant allergy symptoms.[...] Here's the
> citation for the study if anyone is interested: -Koplin et al. (2010). Can
> early introduction of egg prevent egg allergy in infants? A
> population-based study. Journal Allergy Clinical Immunology, 126(4),
> 807-813.

It's always disappointing reading the affiliations/declarations of
conflict in these studies - the Australian Egg Corporation, the Medical
Advisory Board for Nestlé. 

The allergy team studying various solids introduction timing at Princess
Margaret Hospital/ICHR and who works with the Paediatric Interest Group
of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy is headed
by Susan Prescott, who has herself received an honorarium from Mead
Johnson and is or has been on the Nutricia and Nestle Advisory Boards.
Her work and ASCIA involvement has been instrumental in ASCIA's official
advice to parents in 2008, which continues to read that solids should be
introduced between 4 and 6 months, and that "breastfeeding is
recommended for at least 6 months"*. 

Where does it all stop? How are we supposed to read this research and
advice and take it at face value, when we know that the authors are both
financially and scientifically (or "scientifically") involved with the
food industry lobby?

Lara Hopkins

* http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/350/287/

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