Impact of elimination diets on nutrition and growth in children with multiple food allergies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Growth and nutritional intake of children with cows’ milk allergy and other food allergens has been thoroughly investigated in recent years across many different countries and age groups. An impaired growth in atopic children should not be attributed only to a high number of allergens and foods to be avoided, but to a general condition of ‘sub-inflammation’, which unfavorably affects the absorption and utilization of fuel and substrates. Atopic study participants may represent a good target for personalized nutrition and in this review we sought to outline many of the issues that should be taken into account when dietitians advise patients regarding food avoidance and expected effects on growth. RECENT FINDINGS: The dietary management of food allergy requires appropriate dietary choices to maintain adequate growth, starting with special formulas in infancy. An emerging area of research is the fussy eating related to the exclusion of cowʼs milk and other foods during infancy and the long-term effects on eating habits and food preferences. SUMMARY: Study participants with either mono or polyallergic diseases should ideally undergo the definition of their allergic and metabolic characteristics, to precisely adjust dietary interventions on an individual basis to support the genetic potential of growth and prevent unfavorable outcomes.