| Abstract [eng] |
Environmental factors more often is thought to have influence in determining children’s health and development. Prevalence of allergic diseases over the last decades is increasing, especially in Western Europe. Despite lots of performed surveys it is still unclear why the prevalence of food allergy is mounting. Incidence of food allergy is age dependent and usually manifest as one of the first forms of allergy. It is considered as the first step of „atopic march“. To accurately assess the occurrence of possible risk factors for a disease that can start already in infancy and may resolve by school age, a prospective birth cohort with regular follow-up of participating children and families provides the best possible study design. EuroPrevall birth cohort study, in which participated Vilnius University, was the first in the world investigation specially created just for evaluation of food allergy. During in this dissertation presented project for the first time real prevalence of food hypersensitivity and allergy in infants and small children in Lithuania have been determined, the most common food allergens were assessed and changes in prevalence of sensitization to them during first 30 months of life were analysed, also the role of possible determinants for the development of food allergies, such as genetic background, maternal diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding, way of birth, infections, medicines, psycho-social and environmental factors, were examined and different food allergy diagnostic methods were evaluated. According the data results, guidelines for food allergy diagnosis in small children have been provided. |
