Maternal antigen avoidance during lactation for preventing atopic eczema in infants (Withdrawn paper. 1996, art. no. CD000131)

Background Background pending. Objectives To assess the effects of prescribing an antigen avoidance diet to lactating mothers of infants with atopic eczema on the severity of the eczema. Search strategy The register of cliniccal trials maintained and updated by the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group. Date of last search : October 2001. Data collection and analysis Data were extracted by the author from published reports, and supplemented by additional information from trial lists contacted by the author. Main results One trial involving 17 women ws included. Based on the single small trial, maternal antigen avoidance was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in eczema severity. Author's conclusions The unimpressive results of this single trial should be interpreted with caution both because of its small size (n = 17) and because the trial compared exposure to cow milk and egg with exposure to soya milk (soya can itself be allergenic). Maternal reports of changes in the severity of their breast-fed infants' eczema following ingestion of certain foods should be pursued by performing multiple (preferably double-blinded) challenges with the suspected foods.