Conclusion
At 12 months the CORAL cohort has higher rates of egg sensitisation and AD, but not egg allergy, when compared with a national historic dataset. Antibiotic use and infant illness and hospitalisation were much lower in this cohort and breastfeeding rates were dramatically higher than pre-pandemic Irish figures. Microbiome analysis from 6-month and 12-month appointments are ongoing and may offer further explanation for the increased sensitisation and AD seen in this cohort at 12 months in the context of other favourable factors including increased breastfeeding.
References
(1) Lawler M, Franklin R, McCallion N, Byrne AM, Fitzsimons J, Kinoshita M, et al. The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on infants’ coronavirus exposure and routine healthcare access in Ireland: The CORAL birth cohort study at 6 months. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. 2021; 10.1111/pai.13591 [doi].
(2) Hennessy Á, Hourihane JO, Malvisi L, Irvine AD, Kenny LC, Murray DM, et al. Antenatal vitamin D exposure and childhood eczema, food allergy, asthma and allergic rhinitis at 2 and 5 years of age in the atopic disease-specific Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study. Allergy. 2018; 73 (11): 2182-2191. 10.1111/all.13590 [doi].
(3) Harris JM, Mills P, White C, Moffat S, Newman Taylor AJ, Cullinan P. Recorded infections and antibiotics in early life: associations with allergy in UK children and their parents. Thorax. 2007; 62 (7): 631-637. thx.2006.072124 [pii].
(4) Kadambari S, Goldacre R, Morris E, Goldacre MJ, Pollard AJ. Indirect effects of the covid-19 pandemic on childhood infection in England: population based observational study. BMJ. 2022; 376 e067519. 10.1136/bmj-2021-067519.
(5) Stam J, van Stuijvenberg M, Grüber C, Mosca F, Arslanoglu S, Chirico G, et al. Antibiotic use in infants in the first year of life in five European countries. Acta Paediatrica 2012; 101 (9): 929-934. 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02728.x [doi].
(6) Lyons SA, Clausen M, Knulst AC, Ballmer-Weber BK, Fernandez-Rivas M, Barreales L, et al. Prevalence of Food Sensitization and Food Allergy in Children Across Europe. JACI; In practice. 2020; 8 (8): 2736-2746.e9. S2213-2198(20)30371-8 [pii].
(7) Healthcare Pricing Office. National Perinatal Reporting System (NPRS).http://www.hpo.ie/latest_hipe_nprs_reports/NPRS_2015/Perinatal_Statistics_Report_2015. pdf [Accessed 15/12/21].
(8) Layte, R. & McCrory, C. Maternal Health Behaviours and Child Growth in Infancy: Analyses of the Infant Cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland Study. 2014.
(9) Asher MI, Montefort S, Björkstén B, Lai CK, Strachan DP, Weiland SK, et al. Worldwide time trends in the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in childhood: ISAAC Phases One and Three repeat multicountry cross-sectional surveys. Lancet.2006; 368 (9537): 733-743. S0140-6736(06)69283-0 [pii].
(10) Byrne A, Kelleher M, Hourihane JO. CORRESPONDENCE BSACI 2021 guideline for the management of egg allergy. Clin Exp allergy.2021; 10.1111/cea.14061 [doi].