Prenatal visits for allergy prevention

Parental stress and food allergy phenotypes in young children: A National Birth Cohort (JECS)

BACKGROUND

Food allergy children and their families tend to have emotional distress and anxiety. There have been few reports of differences in parenting stress and a child's food allergy phenotypes.

METHODS

We examined the associations between food allergy phenotypes in children and parenting stress assessed by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) from a national birth cohort (Japan Environment and Children's Study).

RESULTS

We included 65,805 children for statistical analysis. Of them, 7.2% of children had a food allergy diagnosis at 2 years old. The means of the total PSI-SF (39.9 ± 10.3, 39.1 ± 9.9), CD-SF (19.5 ± 5.4, 19.1 ± 5.2), and PD-SF (20.5 ± 6.3, 20.0 ± 6.1) scores are similar for caregivers in the with and without food allergy groups. Food allergy diagnosis resulted in significantly higher total PSI scores (coefficient .47, 95% CI 0.19-0.75, p = .001), CD-SF (coefficient .22, 95% CI 0.07-0.38, p = .004), and PD-SF (coefficient .24, 95% CI 0.08-0.41, p = .004). A similar trend was observed for allergy reactions to hen's egg. However, there was no clear relationship between allergic reactions to milk, wheat, nuts, and PSI-SF.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental stress was significantly related to a child's food allergy. Furthermore, hen's egg allergy increased parental stress. Multiple food avoidance might also increase parental stress. Healthcare providers need to be aware of parental stress in our daily clinic.

Overviewing allergy epidemiology in Japan - Findings from birth cohorts (JECS and T-Child study)

The escalating global allergy epidemic has emerged as a pressing and persistent challenge, exerting a profound impact on human health systems across centuries. This burgeoning predicament can be attributed to contemporary lifestyles, environmental influences, and genetic predispositions. The manifestation of allergy-related factors exhibits dynamic fluctuations contingent on temporal shifts, geographical distinctions, cultural variances, and diverse demographic strata. In this review, we present recent epidemiological insights derived from two distinct birth cohorts: the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), encompassing the entirety of Japan, and the Tokyo Children's Health, Illness, and Development Study (T-Child Study) within Tokyo. Through this comprehensive review, we offer a comprehensive overview of the latest epidemiological discoveries stemming from these pivotal Japanese birth cohorts, thereby affording a unique opportunity to deliberate on imperative strategies for the optimal management of the allergy epidemic.

Dissemination of atopic dermatitis and food allergy information to pregnant women in an online childbirth preparation class

Background

Evidence-based allergy prevention strategies have been reported, but strategies for dissemination have not been evaluated. Improving health literacy and awareness of allergies in pregnant mothers is 1 example of dissemination and implementation science that could help prevent allergic diseases and promote early detection of allergic diseases in children.

Objective

We evaluated the usefulness of an online childbirth preparation class about prevention and early detection of allergic diseases in offspring.

Methods

From January 2021 to August 2021, an online allergy class for pregnant mothers was provided at the hospital in Tokyo. We conducted an online survey about allergy topics before and after the online childbirth preparation class.

Results

A total of 106 pregnant women attended the online allergy class, and 92 (86.8%) responded to the online survey. Of the respondents, 90 (97.8%) were worried about the development of allergies in their children. The topic that attracted the most attention in the lecture was the prevention of atopic dermatitis by means of skin care. The percentages of correct responses regarding allergy prevention strategies increased after the class. All mothers believed that the class was useful, the information should be disseminated to the public, and the practices should be implemented.

Conclusion

In online childbirth preparation classes, information about allergy based on dissemination and implementation science could strengthen allergy literacy among pregnant women.