Effect of Food Allergies on Growth in Children

Food allergies result in a food elimination, which can lead to inadequate nutrient intake if not substituted properly. Allergen elimination has been shown to correlate with inadequate growth, especially when the allergen is milk. The purpose of this study was to determine if height and Body Mass Index (BMI) could be affected by the presence of a food allergy. A parent questionnaire was used to determine characteristics of 650 children, ages 0–17 years, who had been seen in a pediatric allergy clinic. Independent‐samples t‐tests were used to determine if differences existed between mean height and BMI z‐scores in the following groups: 1) participants with food allergies compared to those without food allergies, 2) participants ages 0–5 compared to those ages 6–17, 3) participants with milk allergy compared to those with other food allergies, and 4) participants with a milk and/or soy allergy compared to those with other food allergies. Significant differences were found between the following variables: 1) mean BMI z‐scores between participants with food allergies (M= 0.5769, SD= 1.2152) compared to those without food allergies (M= 0.8021, SD= 1.1593); p= 0.023, two‐tailed, 2) mean length/height z‐scores between those with a milk allergy (M= −0.4000, SD= 1.3024) compared to those with other food allergies (M= 0.10137, SD= 1.5322); p= 0.002, two‐tailed, and 3) mean length/height z‐scores between those with a milk and/or soy allergy (M= −0.3931, SD= 1.3469) compared to those with other food allergies, (M= 0.1426, SD= 1.5124); p= 0.001, two‐tailed. Our findings suggest the presence of a milk and/or soy allergy impacts linear growth. This highlights the importance of providing appropriate nutrition education to families and children with food allergies in order to avoid nutrient deficiencies, thus improving growth outcomes. Support or Funding Information Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences