Food-induced anaphylaxis during infancy is associated with later sleeping and eating disorders

Abstract

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that food-induced anaphylaxis (FIA) may induce different psychological disorders (PDs). In this study, we aimed to further evaluate the effect of FIA, specifically when occurring in early life, on subsequent PDs development. Methods: We conducted a population-based, retrospective, matched-cohort study of pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years) treated at the “Clalit” healthcare organization during the period 2001–2021. Children diagnosed with FIA were propensity score-matched with patients without any allergies (controls) of similar demographic parameters. Associations between FIA and different PDs were examined by multivariable regression models. Results: The cohorts comprised 545 FIA patients and 4514 controls. Most patients were <3 years old [87.6% of controls (N = 3955) and 87.3% of the FIA cohort (N = 476)]. In this age group, the major food allergens were cow's milk (N = 258; 54.2%), eggs (N = 60; 12.6%), and peanuts (N = 20; 4.2%). The multivariable regression model identified an association between FIA and any PDs (p