Investigating Allergies to Cow Milk, Peanut, and Egg in Children and Their Associations With the Severity of Atopic Dermatitis

Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a risk factor for children’s onset of food allergy. This study explores the frequency of food allergies among children with AD and their relationship with the severity of the disease. Methods: This analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 children under the age of 14 years who were diagnosed with AD. The patients were divided into three groups according to age as follows: Younger than 2 years, between 2 and 7 years, and between 7 and 14 years. Serum immunoglobulin E level of food-specified allergen was measured. Then, the children were categorized into three groups for comparison based on AD severity, food allergy type, and frequency. Results: The frequency of allergy to egg, peanut, and cow milk was 66.7%, 37.5%, and 18.8%, respectively, in the patients. Boys have more allergies to peanuts (46.2%) than girls (27.3%). Egg allergy is prevalent among both genders (girls 63.6% and boys 69.2%). Allergy to cow milk was higher in the age group under 2 years (23.1%). Half of the children between 7-14 years old had an allergy to peanuts (50%). Over half of the children in all age groups had egg protein allergies. The patients with mild and moderate AD had more allergies (25.0%) to cow milk compared to severe AD patients (6.2%).  Discussion: This study indicated that food allergy is common in patients with AD, and nearly two-thirds of the patients were allergic to one foodstuff. Meanwhile, allergy to eggs was more common among the patients compared to other foodstuffs.