The Parent and Baby Project

We know from our Isle of Wight Birth Cohort and FAIR studies that around 1-in- 20 UK pre-school children have food allergies. Information from these studies have helped us to understand which babies develop food allergy. Many food allergies are life-long.

For the last 30 years, the government has recommended that the introduction of solids is delayed until babies reach 6-months of age. Recent large international trials show that introducing common food allergens before 6-months-of-age can prevent food allergies. However, a previous UK trial established that UK parents were unable to introduce common food allergens earlier, so government advice has not changed.

In the Parent and Baby Project we are using a new approach with parents and healthcare professionals to prevent children developing food allergies. To keep things simple, we are going to focus on the key food allergens. We will also support continued breast feeding. We are undertaking a large randomised,

controlled trial to see whether this approach reduces food allergies at 12-months of age, while not impacting on breastfeeding.

If the new approach is successful, we may be able to reduce food allergy by half. This will positively impact families, the NHS and wider society.