For the moment, the only recognized preventive measure is to vengti rūkymas and second-hand smoke. Tobacco smoke is said to create a breeding ground for various forms of allergies. Otherwise, we do not know of other measures to prevent it: šiuo klausimu nėra medikų sutarimo.

Nevertheless, the medical community is exploring various avenues of prevention that may be of interest to parents with allergies who want to reduce the risk of their child also suffering from it.

Prevention hypotheses

Svarbi. Most of the studies reported in this section have involved children at high risk of allergies because of family history.

Exclusive breastfeeding. Practiced during the first 3 to 4 months of life, or even the first 6 months, it would reduce the risk of allergies during infancy^{4, 16,18-21,22}. However, according to the authors of a review of studies, it is not certain that the preventive effect is maintained in the long term.⁴. The beneficial effect of breast milk may be due to its action on the intestinal wall of the infant. Indeed, growth factors present in milk, as well as maternal immune components, contribute to the maturation of the intestinal mucosa. Thus, it would be less likely to let allergens into the body⁵.

It should be noted that there are non-allergenic milk preparations on the market, to be favored by mothers of children at risk of allergies who are not breastfeeding.

Delay the introduction of solid foods. The recommended age for introducing solid foods (for example, cereals) to babies is around 6 mėnuo^{22, 24}. It is considered that before this age, the immune system is still immature, which increases the risk of suffering from allergies. However, there is insufficient scientific evidence to be able to state this beyond any doubt.^16,22. Interesting fact: children who eat fish in their first year of life are less prone to allergies¹⁶.

Delay the introduction of highly allergenic foods. Allergenic foods (peanuts, eggs, shellfish, etc.) could also be given with caution or avoided while making sure not to cause nutritional deficiencies in the child. It is important for this to follow the advice of a doctor or dietitian. The Quebec Association of Food Allergies (AQAA) publishes a calendar to which we can refer for the introduction of solid foods, which begins at 6 months³³. However, be aware that this practice is not based on solid evidence. At the time of writing this sheet (August 2011), this calendar was being updated by the AQAA.

Hypoallergenic diet during pregnancy. Intended for mothers, this diet requires avoiding the main allergenic foods, such as cow’s milk, eggs and nuts, in order to avoid exposing the fetus and infant. A Cochrane group meta-analysis concluded that hypoallergenic diet during pregnancy (in women at high risk) is not effective in reducing the risk of atopic eczema, and can even lead to malnutrition problems in mother and fetus²³. This conclusion is supported by other syntheses of studies^{4, 16,22}.

On the other hand, it would be an effective and safer measure when it is adopted. tik per žindymas²³. Monitoring a hypoallergenic diet during breastfeeding requires supervision by a health professional.

In a study with a control group, researchers tested the effect of a hypoallergenic diet followed during the third trimester of pregnancy and continued until the introduction of solid foods, at the age of 6 months, with 165 mother-child couples at risk of allergies³. The children also followed a hypoallergenic diet (no cow’s milk for one year, no eggs for two years and no nuts and fish for three years). At 2 years of age, children in the “hypoallergenic diet” group were less likely to have food allergies and atopic eczema than those in the control group. However, at 7 years, no difference in allergies was noted between the 2 groups.

• Regularly wash bedding in case of dust mite allergy.
• Frequently ventilate rooms by opening windows, except perhaps in cases of seasonal allergies to pollens.
• Maintain low humidity in rooms conducive to mold growth (bathroom).
• Do not adopt pets known to cause allergies: cats, birds, etc. Give up animals already present for adoption.