Children with allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma treated with elimination diet: a five-year follow-up.

Three hundred and twenty-two children under one year of age with respiratory allergy and negative inhalant skin tests were placed on a six-week hypoallergenic diet consisting of Meat Base Formula, beef, carrots, broccoli and apricots. Two hundred and ninety-two or 91% showed significant improvement of respiratory symptom scores during the trial. On subsequent oral food challenge symptoms were reproduced in only 51% of the children. Milk greater than egg greater than chocolate greater than soy greater than legumes greater than cereals were most commonly involved. Skin tests with food allergens rarely correlated with challenge results. One hundred and seventeen or 40% later developed inhalant respiratory allergy. Only 6% of the children studied five years or longer showed any evidence of food sensitivity. The data suggest (1) infants with respiratory allergy will respond to hypoallergenic diet, (2) symptoms may or may not reappear on food challenge, (3) food allergy tends to be "outgrown" and (4) many "grow into" inhalant respiratory allergy.