Infant atopy and allergic diseases: an introduction to dietary aspects.

Allergic diseases including asthma, eczema, hay fever, and food allergies (also referred to as food hypersensitivity) are on the increase. Many factors could play a role in the development of allergic diseases, such as the particular immune response triggered by an allergen and dietary or environmental factors during pregnancy, breast-feeding and early life. However, genotype plays the most important role. In practice, the management of allergic diseases will involve dietary interventions by health care professionals, including the avoidance of food allergens and a number of preventive strategies.