The aim of our study was to analyse the nutrient intake and growth status of children with food allergies and to compare them with a control group of children without food allergies. We performed a retrospective cohort study with a longitudinal follow-up of a mean duration of 4,85 ± 2,79 years. They were enrolled at regular visits to the allergy outpatient clinic at the Paediatric Clinic of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana. Parents or guardians were asked to bring a duly completed 3-day dietary diary, and blood tests and anthropometrics were performed. Antropometric measurements and nutrition analysis were part of study protocol. We included only patients with one food allergy (cow's milk, egg or peanut) and their peers without food allergies. From our retrospective follow-up data, we were able to show that cow's milk, egg or peanut allergy did not affect the growth of the children. Patients in the observation groups grew normally and kept up with their peers. From diagnosis to inclusion in the study, we observed an improvement in height-for-age z score and weight-for-age z score (p<0,05). In the group of children with cow's milk allergy, we observed a worse calcium requirement coverage than in the control group (48,86 % vs. 63,83 %, p<0,05). We were able to show that growth and nutrient intake were not worse than in the control group due to allergy to peanuts or eggs (p<0,05).
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