Do you have a baby who is younger than 3 months of age? Take part in a research study on food allergies and help find a way to prevent them.

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

In the UK approximately 6% of children will develop a food allergy. Some allergies are mild but others can be life threatening. The Government's Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have funded a study at Kings College London and St Thomas' Hospital to find out how to help prevent food allergy in young children, but they need help from parents with young babies. They've asked us to tell you about the study with the hope that some of you may be interested in taking part.

The EAT Study is testing the idea that the introduction of allergenic foods into the diet of babies from 3-4 months of age, alongside continued breastfeeding, results in fewer food allergies for toddlers. They want to hear from parents who are interested in getting involved. To be eligible to take part, you must:

~ have a child younger than 3 months
~ be exclusively breastfeeding (no formula or solid foods) and planning to continue for at least the first 3 months

If you're interested in taking part, or finding out more please check out the study's website here or email the study team ([email protected]). Please note that by contacting the study team, you're not committing to take part.

Also, if you have a child with a food allergy and want to share your thoughts and experiences, please add them to this thread - the FSA and MRC would love to hear from you.

Thanks
MNHQ

Before deciding whether to join in the study you might want to do an advanced search on MN and read some of the ethical questions that have been raised about this study, including by Tiktok herself . There has been lots of discussion.

See some threads here and here.

Perhaps they'd like to include food colourings as allergens in this and report back to the MHRA as to why azo dyes shouldn't be in paediatric medicines, especially those prescribed to newborns?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a1400550-To-not-want-to-give-my-newborn-azo-dyes-in-his-medicine#29935218

I am enrolled with my son. The staff there are fantastic. And help and advice is only a phone call/email away at all times.

Babies are exposed to the allergens before weaning at the hospital so it is a very safe way to find out if your baby has allergies.

I really do not believe there are any ethical issues. It is just a personal choice whether you would wean early - it is likely this study will replace current guidelines.

I was asked to take part in this study when dd was born but refused as it basically involves introducing solids WAY before 26 weeks - at 14 weeks if I recall correctly.

My DS is on this and I would recommend it to anyone who is eligible. We're in the control group but I would have had no problems with being in the early weaning group. Do some research if you've any concerns, the early weaning isn't as some have described.

Correct Chubfuddler. It also involves exclusively BF until 6 months if you are in the 50% that get put into that group. I am enrolled on this study, and have nothing but praise for the team at St Guys.
Due back for our 1 year check in the next few weeks.

If anyone is thinking of signing up, give them a ring, they will answer ANY questions you may have.

Do read the threads linked to above.

I've read them. And am perfectly satisfied that my decision to refuse was correct.

What RaisingEmbers said.

We have our 1yr appt tomorrow.

I meant St Thomas'.

We are in the introduction arm and started food at 17 weeks but now three weeks on it still involves very little food. I do nor even describe it as weaning more exposure to food. And as I have said on another thread, our family lives with severe eczema and wheat/dairy allergies and it's so important but something that gets overlooked.

I find that those who are so fixating on guidelines are precisely the ones who don't want to get involved....but where do you think the guidelines come from....research studies. Interestingly a large number of people involved have a history or are aware of allergies and therefore understnand the importance.

Well done and thankyou for all those enrolled x

Thanks for all of your responses to the thread so far. The EAT study team have asked us to pass on the following message to you:

"With regards to the issue of when solid foods are introduced into the diet, mothers in the intervention arm are asked to introduce baby rice and then some cows' milk-based yoghurts starting between 3 to 4 months of age alongside continued breastfeeding. On average however, this is closer to 4 months. This is because mothers are selected into the control or intervention group when the child is up to 17 weeks old and then wait for a further week for their safety blood results to come back before being advised by the study team that they can begin introducing baby rice. We have therefore found that on average, the very first solids the mothers are introducing in the study is baby rice at around 16 completed weeks.

There is full information on the EAT study website about how what the team is recommending compares and contrasts with the UK (UN) 6 month exclusive breastfeeding recommendation here.

The results of this study will add to the scientific evidence on when is the best time to introduce allergenic foods into the infant diet for the prevention of food allergy.

And finally, with regards to the comments about azo dyes being used in medication, the FSA are happy to highlight these concerns to the relevant contact at the MHRA."

We were enrolled on this until DD2's blood test results came back with her liver function result raised.

IMO it is a great project and if it can help those children with debilitating allergies then all the better. I wish we could have stayed on it.

nappymaestro in no way does this encourage early weaning or discourage bfing. It is only open to babies who have been ebf, and as mamabear sais, it is early introduction of food rather than early weaning. The amount of food is very very low.

I'm (or rather my LO is) enrolled on this. We are in the control group, although I would have been very happy with going in the introduction group too. I have some food intolerances, and just knowing how hard it is for me at times with something that won't kill me, just make me very ill, I figured if I could do something that would help and possibly lessen the risk of future babies getting allergies then I would.

If the research comes back and says that early introduction of x, y or z lessens the risk of allergy/sensitivity then that's great. And likewise if it comes back the opposite way then at least there is some research into it. I read the literature properly, thought about all the different scenarios and still wanted to take part in it. I understand that people have questions over the introduction of certain foods, but I have no worries about it myself.

Nappymaestro, I don't assume the study will show the current guidelines to be wrong, I hope that more research into it will give a better understanding on what can be done to help prevent allergies in babies/children. Either way, I hope that the study will help us understand more about what is and isn't good to introduce to babies, and hopefully reduce the number of allergies in the future.

If there was a study which looked at excluding potential allergens in vitro, frim the mothers diet while feeding and until after one year I would join as I believe that my allergic baby reacted when in the womb, while being fed through my breast milk and when weaned.

ive just looked at this, my baby is 2 weeks and i would........ but im not willing to introduce solids to her before 6 months.

I really wish I'd taken part in this study, I breast fed my DD for 11 months and still had a baby who was allergic to egg wheat dairy and tomatoes. The only reason I didn't was I tried her with cows milk formula once (which she threw up) at a week before the letter came through. Had I got involved I would have at least found out sooner and had guidance and support, which has been shocking with the NHS!

I started weaning my DS at 4 months (16 weeks to be precise) because my milk dried up and he was FF and hungry. (as in I knew he was OK with milk so rice and apple seemed a safe bet)

He developed allergies at 4yo and now carries an epi-pen. So although this study is interesting my DS goes against what it's trying to prove.

My DS and I are involved. It's taking two different and common ways of introducing solids (as well as foods eaten by the mum during pregnancy and breastfeeding and optional dust samples) and seeing if they makes any difference to allergies. As DD2 was literally born with eczema I'm not sure it makes much of a difference, but without studies like these we'll never know. Hopefully we can save someone some pain from these.

Not looking forward to making fish purees though (only food on the list we don't regularly eat and feeling a bit clueless about that).