FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Delaying the introduction of solid food beyond the first six months of life does not help to prevent atopic dermatitis or atopic sensitization, according to a study in the February issue of Pediatrics.
Anne Zutavern, M.D., of the GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Epidemiology in Neuherberg, Germany, and colleagues studied semiannual data on diet, symptoms, atopic dermatitis diagnoses and immunoglobulin E levels on 2,612 infants.
The researchers found that delaying solid food introduction until after infants were four months old decreased the odds of symptomatic atopic dermatitis, but not for doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis, for combined doctor-diagnosed and symptomatic atopic dermatitis, nor for atopic sensitization. Postponing the introduction of solids beyond six months, however, did not protect against atopic dermatitis or atopic sensitization. The investigators found "clear evidence" of reverse causality between the introduction of solids and early skin or allergic symptoms.
"This study does not find evidence supporting a delayed introduction of solids beyond the sixth month of life for the prevention of atopic dermatitis and atopic sensitization," the authors write. "We cannot rule out that delaying the introduction of solids for the first four months of life might offer some protection."
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