Study Finds Early Allergies Predict Food Allergy Risk

Eczema, respiratory allergies, and skin barrier dysfunction in infancy strongly linked to later food allergy development.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A comprehensive study analyzing data from nearly 2.8 million children across 40 countries found that early development of eczema, allergic rhinitis, and other allergic conditions in infancy significantly increases the risk of a child later developing a food allergy. The study also identified other risk factors like delayed introduction of allergenic foods, antibiotic use, and family history, but found no link between vaccines and food allergy risk.

Why it matters

The findings reinforce the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies for children at high risk of developing food allergies, such as those with severe eczema. Understanding these risk factors can help guide clinical recommendations around early allergen introduction and skin barrier protection to potentially reduce the burden of food allergies.

The details

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that children who developed eczema in their first year of life had nearly 4 times the odds of developing a food allergy compared to those without eczema. Severity of eczema, as measured by SCORAD scores, was also directly correlated with increased food allergy risk. Other strong predictors included early-life allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis and wheezing. Measures of impaired skin barrier function, like high transepidermal water loss and filaggrin gene mutations, were also strongly associated with food allergy development. Delayed introduction of allergenic foods like peanut, egg, and fish past 12 months of age also increased risk, while early introduction was protective. Antibiotic use in the first month of life more than quadrupled the odds of food allergy.

  • The study analyzed data from 190 studies involving nearly 2.8 million children across 40 countries.

The players

Matthew Greenhawt, MD

Professor in the Department of Pediatrics Section of Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital Colorado and study co-author.

Michael Pistiner, MD

Director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education, and Prevention at the Food Allergy Center in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The study confirms that the risk of a child developing food allergy is relatively low — less than 5 out of 100 babies will develop food allergy.”

— Matthew Greenhawt, MD, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics Section of Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital Colorado and study co-author (medscape.com)

“In eczema early on, especially with severe eczema and moderate eczema, they do seem to be a high-risk group for the development of food allergies.”

— Michael Pistiner, MD, Director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education, and Prevention at the Food Allergy Center in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston (medscape.com)

What’s next

The findings reinforce the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies for children at high risk of developing food allergies, such as those with severe eczema. Clinicians are encouraged to have early conversations with parents about the benefits of early allergen introduction, especially for high-risk infants.

The takeaway

This comprehensive study provides strong evidence that early-life allergic conditions like eczema and respiratory allergies are key predictors of future food allergy development. Understanding these risk factors can help guide clinical recommendations around skin barrier protection and early allergen introduction to potentially reduce the burden of food allergies in children.