Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the dietary habit in children after the discontinuation of elimination diets due to the previous hen's egg or cow's milk allergies. Methods: A surveillance questionnaire study was performed during May to December 2013, which included children who were previously allergic to hen's egg (n=16), cow's milk (n=1) or both (n=21) and their caregivers, after the discontinuation of their elimination diets. Among the respondents, 21 caregivers participated in a mobile telephone survey to assess the children's food record for 3 days, which included a photographic observation. Results: The burden for the parents was decreased in their daily meals at home, eating out and food shopping. However, they still reported feeling anxiety due to the occurrence of allergic symptoms when their children eat a lot, or when they eat eggs cooked at a low temperature. The mobile telephone-based dietary assessment revealed that more than half of the children ate less than a half an egg or 100ml of milk. The calcium intake in the children who were previously allergic to cow's milk remained inadequate. Conclusion: This study revealed a situation that complete release from food allergy was hard to obtain for most of the allergic children, probably due to their previous lifestyle without the allergenic food and the anxiety of their parents.
