A home-made meat-based formula for feeding atopic babies: a study in 51 children

A. Cantani

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome (Italy)

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• Immunology

Background. Several elimination diets have been suggested based on results of skin prick tests (SPTs) or IgE antibodies to foods, thus allowing the identification of the most common offending food(s), including CM (cow’s milk), egg, peanut and wheat. But unbalanced, inappropriate dietary manipulation in infants with food allergy (FA) can have critically deleterious consequences. We have investigated the effectiveness of a home-made meat-based formula (HMMBF) (Rezza’s diet) in babies with food-induced atopic dermatitis (AD), a common, disabling, chronic disease of infancy.

Patients and Methods. Rezza’s diet was given for two months to 25 infants (median age 6.9 months) affected with AD and FA and the differences of body weight and AD severity score were recorded before and after the diet period. Data were analysed using the T and c2 tests.

Results. There was a significant improvement in both the evaluated parameters, whereas in 26 control atopic babies they remained unchanged.

Conclusion. The results of our study indicate that the HMMBF, also based on the experience of several authors, is a useful oligoantigenic diet for the treatment of food-induced AD, and the prevention of the atopic march.

Corresponding Author: Arnaldo Cantani, MD; e-mail: acantani@pelagus.it

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