Publication related to RSI or an RSI staff member
The prevalence of food allergy in cesarean-born children aged 0-3 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
PURPOSE: Previous studies reported a higher risk of food allergy for cesarean-born children than vaginal-born children. This study aims to systematically compare the prevalence of food allergy among cesarean-born and vaginal-born children aged 0-3 years. METHODS: Three English and two Chinese databases were searched using terms related to food allergies and cesarean sections. Cohort studies that reported the prevalence of food allergy in cesarean-born and vaginal-born children aged 0-3 years were included. Two reviewers performed study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction. The pooled prevalence of food allergy in cesarean-born and vaginal-born children was compared by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine eligible studies, with 9,650 cesarean-born children and 20,418 vaginal-born children aged 0-3 years, were included. Of them, 645 cesarean-born children and 991 vaginal-born children were identified as having food allergies. The pooled prevalence of food allergy was higher in cesarean-born children (7.8%) than in vaginal-born children (5.9%). Cesarean section was associated with an increased risk of food allergy [odds ratio (OR): 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-2.05] and cow’s milk allergy (OR: 3.31; 95% CI: 1.98-5.53). Additionally, cesarean-born children with a parental history of allergy had an increased risk of food allergy (OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.28-5.27). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that cesarean sections was associated with an increased risk of food and cow’s milk allergies in children aged 0-3 years. Cesarean-born children with a parental history of allergy demonstrated a higher risk for food allergy than did vaginal-born children. These results indicate that caregivers should be aware of the risks of food allergies in cesarean-born children, reducing the risk of potentially fatal allergic events. Further research is needed to identify the specific factors affecting food allergies in young children. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (NO. CRD42019140748).
Authors
- Yang, Xiaoxian, Yang X, School of Health and Nursing, Wuxi Taihu University, Wuxi, China.
- Zhou, Chuhui, Zhou C, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China.; School of Nursing, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guo, Chentao, Guo C, Department of Epidemiology, Xishan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, China.
- Wang, Jie, Wang J, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China.; School of Nursing, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Chen, Innie, Chen I, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Wen, Shi Wu, Wen SW, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Krewski, Daniel, Krewski D, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; Risk Science International, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Yue, Liqun, Yue L, Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
- Xie, Ri-Hua, Xie RH, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China.; The Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
PURPOSE: Previous studies reported a higher risk of food allergy for cesarean-born children than vaginal-born children. This study aims to systematically compare the prevalence of food allergy among cesarean-born and vaginal-born children aged 0-3 years. METHODS: Three English and two Chinese databases were searched using terms related to food allergies and cesarean sections. Cohort studies that reported the prevalence of food allergy in cesarean-born and vaginal-born children aged 0-3 years were included. Two reviewers performed study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction. The pooled prevalence of food allergy in cesarean-born and vaginal-born children was compared by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine eligible studies, with 9,650 cesarean-born children and 20,418 vaginal-born children aged 0-3 years, were included. Of them, 645 cesarean-born children and 991 vaginal-born children were identified as having food allergies. The pooled prevalence of food allergy was higher in cesarean-born children (7.8%) than in vaginal-born children (5.9%). Cesarean section was associated with an increased risk of food allergy [odds ratio (OR): 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-2.05] and cow's milk allergy (OR: 3.31; 95% CI: 1.98-5.53). Additionally, cesarean-born children with a parental history of allergy had an increased risk of food allergy (OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.28-5.27). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that cesarean sections was associated with an increased risk of food and cow's milk allergies in children aged 0-3 years. Cesarean-born children with a parental history of allergy demonstrated a higher risk for food allergy than did vaginal-born children. These results indicate that caregivers should be aware of the risks of food allergies in cesarean-born children, reducing the risk of potentially fatal allergic events. Further research is needed to identify the specific factors affecting food allergies in young children. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (NO. CRD42019140748).
