Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Early Introduction of Solid Foods

Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Early Introduction of Solid
Foods to Infants and the Development of Allergic Disease.

Tarini BA, Carroll AE, Sox CM, Christakis DA.Author Affiliations: Robert
Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program.

"OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence that early solid feeding (before age 4
months) increases the risk of allergic disease. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, the
Cochrane Library, and the Drugs and Pharmacology section of EMBASE with
key words "infant," "food," and "allergy." STUDY SELECTION: We found 2719
article citations and reviewed references of relevant articles. We
critically evaluated the methods and results of articles that met
inclusion criteria. We identified 13 studies that met inclusion criteria.
There was only 1 controlled trial. DATA EXTRACTION: Allergic disease. DATA
SYNTHESIS: Five studies found a positive association between early solid
feeding and eczema, with a persistence of the association for 10 years in
1 study. Four studies found no association. One study found an association
between early solid feeding and pollen allergy. We found no strong
evidence to support the association between early solid feeding and the
development of persistent asthma, persistent food
allergy, allergic rhinitis, or animal dander allergy. CONCLUSIONS:
Systematic review of available evidence suggests that early solid feeding
may increase the risk of eczema. However, there are little data
supporting an association between early solid feeding and other allergic
conditions. Since many studies had problematic methods, additional
controlled trials are needed to help guide physicians as they advise
parents about the allergic risks of early introduction of solids."

PMID: 16651493
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006 May;160(5):502-507.