Infant milk feeding at 2 months and incidence of allergies up to 2 years in the French nationwide ELFE cohort
Résumé
Background and aim
Formula-fed infants are often compared to breast-fed infants as a homogenous group but hydrolyzed protein in infant formula might play a role in allergy development. We examined the links between infant milk feeding and incidence of allergies up to 2 years.
Methods
Among 8962 children from the ELFE birth-cohort, milk feeding (breastmilk only, extensively hydrolyzed formula, hydrolyzed formula with or without hypoallergenic (HA) label, regular formula) was reported at 2 months and diagnosis or potential signs of allergy (eczema, wheezing, bronchiolitis, food allergy) at 2 months, 1 and 2 years. Milk feeding at 2 months was related to allergies using adjusted logistic regressions. Children receiving extensively hydrolyzed formula or with at least one allergy reported at 2 months were excluded from analyses.
Results
Predominant breastfeeding at 2 months was associated with lower risk of bronchiolitis episodes at 1 year. The use of HA formulas at 2 months was related to higher risk of bronchiolitis episodes and wheezing at 1 year and only related to higher risk of food allergy at 2 years.
In stratified analyses according to familial allergy status, 2-mo milk feeding was significantly related to wheezing or bronchiolitis episodes at 1 year only among at-risk children, and to food allergy at 2 years only among non at-risk children.
Conclusions
We did not find any protective effect of hydrolyzed formula at 2 months against allergies up to 2 years. A next step is to examine factors related to the choice of these formulas in children free of allergic manifestation.