The prevalence of food allergy has increased over the last 30 years and remains a disease, which
significantly impacts on the quality of life of children and their families. Several hypotheses have been
formulated to explain the increasing prevalence; this review will focus on the hypothesis that dietary
factors may influence the development of food allergy. Historically, the prevention of food allergy has
focused on allergen avoidance. However, recent findings from interventional studies have prompted a
shift in the mind set from avoidance to early introduction of potentially allergenic foods. This review
aims to facilitate a better understanding of contemporary research studies that make use of early
introduction of common allergenic foods into infant diets as a preventative strategy against the development
of food allergy.
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