Allergies in children due to early food consumption in barranquilla, Colombia

Abstract

Objective To determine the prevalence of symptoms associated with asthma, rhinitis and eczema with food intake in children under six years of age. Materials and Methods Descriptive study on the prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and eczema and their correlation with food consumption. Information was obtained from 1 520 schoolchildren of the District of Barranquilla and its metropolitan area. The ISSAC method was used to process the information, which was provided by the child's guardian, using the software SPSS version 24. Only duly completed questionnaires with informed consents were considered. Analysis was made using a chi-squared test, with a significant P value and 95% confidence. Results In the 1 520 children surveyed, the type of food related to allergies was fish, associated with asthma, showing that this may be a protective factor for the population regarding the onset of eczema, with a statistically a P value of <0.05, chi-square of 4.566, and CI of 95% [0.3;0.8]. Conclusions The analyzed foods showed that fish is related and associated as a protective factor for eczema, while the consumption of cow's milk was related as a protec-tive factor for rhinitis. Regarding other foods and allergies, the study is not conclusive as to whether their early intake is a predisposing factor or trigger in children.