Parent and Baby Project

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Preventing food allergy in infants with early introduction of common food allergens: feasibility and cluster randomised controlled trial

• IRAS ID

  351201

• Contact name

  Graham Roberts

• Contact email

  g.c.roberts@soton.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 6 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Background: Around 1-in-20 UK pre-school children have food allergies. For the last 30 years, government has recommended that the introduction of solids is delayed until babies reach 6-months of age. Recent large trials show that introducing common food allergens before 6-months-of-age can prevent food allergies. However, a previous UK trial established that parents were unable to introduce common food allergens earlier. A recent trial demonstrated that only small tastes need to be introduced alongside their usual milk to prevent food allergy. A new approach to support parents/carers to introduce small tastes of common food allergens earlier needs to be developed and assessed. We have been working with parents and HCPs to produce a new approach using frequent, small amounts of egg and peanut from 17-weeks.
  Objectives of the research: To prevent children developing food allergies by: (1) assessing ease and convenience of the approach, (2) assessing whether the approach can reduce food allergies and (3) is affordable, and (4) plan its use across the NHS.
  Methods: (1) Test out the new approach to allergy prevention with a diverse group of parents, carers and healthcare professionals and make any improvements, with 200 parents and carers in four diverse areas in the North-East and South-Coast; then (2) 3000 parents and carers from across UK will have an equal chance of receiving the new advice to introduce common food allergens from 17-weeks or from around 6-months. We will see whether early introduction reduces food allergies at 12-months of age and (3) is affordable. Food allergy will be diagnosed using the usual NHS approach (history, skin, blood tests or food challenge).
  Impact: If parents start to introduce common food allergens earlier, the number of babies who develop food allergy will be markedly reduced. This will positively impact families, NHS and society.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  25/EE/0067

• Date of REC Opinion

  4 Apr 2025

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion