Can early introduction of dietary allergen reduce the prevalence of infant food allergy? The EarlyNuts population-based study (EarlyNuts)

Infant feeding guidelines were updated to recommend introduction of allergenic solids in the first year of life, for food allergy prevention. EarlyNuts is a population-based, cross-sectional study of 1,933 infants recruited between 2017-2019, where food allergy was measured using gold standard measures. By using the same methods as HealthNuts (2007-2011), this provides two comparable samples recruited 10 years apart, to assess: 1) community uptake of new infant feeding guidelines for food allergy prevention, and 2) whether changes in infant feeding practices have changed the prevalence of peanut and other food allergies in the population between 2007-11 and 2017-19.

Study Summary
Study name Early introduction of dietary allergen to reduce the population prevalence of infant food allergy
Study abbreviation EarlyNuts
Current principal investigator/s Jennifer Koplin
Rachel Peters
Current project manager

Dr Victoria Soriano

 

Primary Institution/s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute - MCRI
The Royal Children’s Hospital - RCH
Collaborating Institution/s The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics - UoM
University of Queensland
Major funding source/s National Health and Medical Research Council - NHMRC
Study website https://www.foodallergyresearch.org.au/researchers/food-allergy-studies/earlynuts/
Key reference for study
Study focus

EarlyNuts uses the same methods as HealthNuts, providing two comparable samples recruited 10 years apart, to assess:
1) Community uptake of new infant feeding guidelines, recommending introduction of allergenic solids in the first year of life for food allergy prevention
2) Whether changes in infant feeding practices has changed the prevalence of peanut and other food allergies in the population between 2007-11 and 2017-19

Sampling frame

Infants aged 11-15 month were recruited from randomly selected council-run immunisation sessions in metropolitan Melbourne, when presenting for their scheduled 12 month vaccinations

Primary study type Cross-sectional
Year commenced

2017

Is this study ongoing? Yes - we plan to continue the study (subject to future funding)
Year study ended 2019
Ongoing recruitment? No
Sample size (N)

1933

Survey data available? Yes
Imaging data available? No
Linkage to administrative dataset/s? No, no consent to link to administrative dataset(s) obtained
Biosamples available? Yes
Are data available to others outside study team, with appropriate safeguards and structures in line with the cohort’s ethics and governance processes? Yes
Are there any costs associated with data/sample access for approved requests? There are usually no costs associated with access
Broadest type of participant consent available Unspecified consent (can be used for any future ethically approved research)

2022

Koplin J, Soriano V, Netting M, Peters R. (2022). Infant feeding patterns before and after changes to food allergy prevention guidelines in Australia. Med J Aust, 217(4), 210 - 211. DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51627

Soriano VX, Peters RL, Moreno-Betancur M, Ponsonby A-L, Gell G, Odoi A, Perrett KP, Tang MLK, Gurrin LC, Allen KJ, Dharmage SC, Koplin JJ. (2022). Association Between Earlier Introduction of Peanut and Prevalence of Peanut Allergy in Infants in Australia. JAMA, 328(1), 48 - 56. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.9224

2021

Soriano V, Peters R, Ponsonby A-L, Perrett K, Dharmage S, Gurrin L, Koplin J. (2021). Has the Prevalence of Peanut Allergy Changed Following Earlier Introduction of Peanut? The EarlyNuts Study Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 147(2), ab236. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.12.009

2019

Soriano VX, Peters RL, Ponsonby A-L, Dharmage SC, Perrett KP, Field MJ, Knox A, Tey D, Odoi S, Gell G, Camesella Perez B, Allen KJ, Gurrin LC, Koplin JJ. (2019). Earlier ingestion of peanut after changes to infant feeding guidelines: The EarlyNuts study. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 144(5), 1327 - 1335.e5. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.07.032

Study Contacts
Principal investigator/s Jennifer Koplin
Rachel Peters
Project manager

Dr Victoria Soriano

 

Study Contact

Study email: [email protected]
Rachel Peters: [email protected]
Jennifer Koplin: [email protected]