by Laura Bantock RN, Western Region Director of Food Allergy Canada
The 70th meeting of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was held in Vancouver recently. I was excited to attend because every year there is a stellar line up of speakers including clinicians and researchers who share updates on a wide variety of allergy-related topics.
Linda Kirste, a Registered Dietician (RD) with HealthLink BC, presented on “Meeting the nutritional needs of young children with multiple food allergies”. The session was ambitious in the sheer volume of information that was offered. A key take home point for me was that children with multiple food allergies appear to be at increased risk of under-nutrition. The good news is that with access to nutrition education and counselling by a qualified health professional, this risk can be mitigated.
A balanced diet according to Canada’s Food Guide that includes a wide variety of foods is the basis for healthy eating. Among children, meeting a range of nutrient needs is critical for supporting normal growth and development. Food allergy restricts food choices, thus making it potentially harder to achieve an adequate, varied and balanced intake.
Kirste pointed out that research suggests when children are faced with milk allergy or multiple food allergies, their dietary intakes of key nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D may be compromised. She cited a review paper from the journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice by Cassandra Sova and colleagues in which the results of six studies were summarized. The authors concluded growth differences appear to be present between some children with and without food allergy. Another study by Liat Nachshon and colleagues from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology suggested milk avoidance due to milk allergy can be linked to an increased risk for diminished bone mineral density.
Kirste also summarized the research by others that suggested children with food allergy may be at increased risk of developing feeding difficulties. She touched on strategies to support “healthy eating behaviours and attitudes” or eating competence in children. Some of these strategies include adopting a responsive feeding style and promoting a positive, inclusive atmosphere at meal and snack times. To find out more about eating competence, she guided her audience to the Ellyn Satter Institute: http://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org
She ended her talk by pointing out that children with food allergy appear to benefit from nutrition counseling, by demonstrating catch-up growth and improved bone mineral density. Some food allergy literature recommends children with food allergy should be offered access to a qualified Registered Dietician to help support optimal nutrition status, normal growth and coping with food allergies.
Tags: dietician, Milk, Multiple food allergies, nutrition