Bounty

Avoiding giving young babies dairy products and nuts in the first three months of life could help to prevent allergies, according to new research.

Researchers at the David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre analysed 120 children who had two or more family members with an allergy.

The study, which started in 1990, found babies who ate a diet without dairy products, soya and nuts for the first three months of life were less likely to develop asthma and other allergies by the time they were 18 years old.

The results of the study were presented at a European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology conference.

Dr Martha Scott, who led the study, said children had less allergic reactions aged one, two, four and eight.

Furthermore, aged 18, there was significantly less asthma in the diet and bedding group than in the control group.

She said: "Whilst this study is small it does suggest that it is possible to prevent the onset of asthma in high-risk individuals by instituting a strict regime that avoids some of the common triggers for asthma in the first year of life.

"We have shown that the beneficial effect lasts for many years."