Studies

The young people in the birth cohort are now producing their own babies. They will be followed-up in a similar way to their parents.

In 1990, 120 pregnant women, whose babies were at high risk of developing allergic disease because of their family history, were recruited into an interventional allergy prevention study.

Most treatments for eczema only suppress the condition and often have unwanted side effects. Many families have reported that water softeners help their eczema, this study was designed to try and answer the question as to whether they were beneficial to eczema sufferers.

There is considerable evidence that the risk of developing allergic disease is determined in early life. An improved understanding of the development and direction of immune responses and factors, which determine pre and post-natal sensitisation versus tolerance, is critical.

Infants at high risk of developing allergic disease have been recruited into research studying the effect of Sublingual Immunotherapy on the development of asthma and allergy.

Altoderm is a new topical formulation of sodium cromoglycate developed by Thornton & Ross Ltd. The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre participated in the clinical testing of this new agent.

A grant from the United Kingdom Foods Standards Agency (FSA) funded a five year study into the prevalence and incidence of food allergies in children.

The David Hide Centre continues to provide pollen counts for the South of England with readings taken from the Burkard volumetric spore trap situated on the roof of St Mary’s Hospital.