PhD project This doctoral project aims to describe the prevalence of food allergy in children under two years of age and to explore how early dietary factors – during pregnancy and infancy – influence the risk of developing allergic diseases.
Allergic diseases are common and often begin early in life. The prevalence of food allergies and food-induced anaphylaxis has increased globally in recent decades, but few studies have objectively assessed food allergy in very young children.
Early life, including the prenatal period, represents a critical window when the immune system can be influenced. Understanding how diet during these stages affects allergy risk may help identify strategies for prevention. The project also examines how Swedish parents follow current recommendations on introducing allergenic foods to infants and whether this practice helps reduce food allergy risk.
The research is based on data from the large Swedish birth cohort NorthPop which follows families in Västerbotten county to improve understanding of how early environmental and lifestyle factors shape children’s health.
