Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome involves delayed gastrointestinal reactions without typical IgE antibody involvement, affecting patients from infancy through adulthood with distinct geographic trigger patterns. Cow's milk remains the predominant global trigger, while grains dominate in the US and Australia, fish in Europe, and hen's egg in Japan. The past decade has witnessed dramatic increases in pediatric FPIES cases involving hen's egg in both the US and Japan, plus peanut cases in America, coinciding precisely with public health campaigns promoting early allergen introduction during infancy. This temporal correlation suggests a critical vulnerability window in early life where feeding practices may inadvertently trigger this immune-mediated condition. The phenomenon challenges conventional allergy prevention wisdom and highlights unintended consequences of well-intentioned dietary guidelines. Without specific biomarkers for diagnosis or monitoring, clinicians rely on symptom patterns and food challenges for management. The geographic clustering of different trigger foods indicates environmental or cultural factors influence susceptibility patterns. Adult-onset cases primarily involve seafood triggers, suggesting different pathophysiological mechanisms across age groups. This emerging pattern demands reassessment of early introduction protocols and development of predictive tools to identify at-risk infants before implementing aggressive feeding strategies.
FPIES Food Allergy Cases Surge Following Early Introduction Guidelines
📄 Based on research published in Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
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