vol. 6 • no. 6 ICAN: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition Abstract

Background. Food allergies are a growing problem among American children. There is currently no cure for food allergy. Food allergies are managed by strictly eliminating allergens from the diet, which may lead to poor nutrient intake and poor growth. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze changes in calcium intake and growth in children with multiple food allergies after medical nutrition therapy (MNT). Materials and Methods. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 50 patients with 2 or more food allergies. At least one of their food allergies was nutritionally significant: milk, soy, wheat, or egg. Weight and length/ height were recorded from the medical record from the initial allergist visit (visit 1), the initial dietitian visit (visit 2), and the follow-up dietitian visit (visit 3). Dietary intake was collected from the medical record from visits 2 and 3 and calcium intake was calculated based on these data. Results. Weight-for-age and weight-for-length or body mass index (BMI)-for-age z-scores decreased from visit 1 to visit 2 and increased from visit 2 to visit 3, but this was not statistically significant. The mean change in weight-for-length or BMI-for-age z-scores from visits 1 to 2 was significantly lower than the mean change in weight-for-length or BMI-for-age z-scores from visits 2 to 3. The average calcium intake of all patients at visit 2 was 163 ± 75% of goal calcium intake. Conclusions. Although more research is needed, our study supports the need for MNT for children with multiple food allergies. Children with multiple food allergies are at nutrition risk, and MNT may improve nutrient intake and growth for these children