Primary Prevention of Food Allergy: Translating Evidence from Clinical Trials to Population-Based Recommendations

Abstract

Given the prevalence and impact of childhood food allergy, there is increasing interest in interventions targeting disease prevention. Although interventions such as early introduction of dietary peanut have demonstrated efficacy in a small number of well-conducted randomized clinical trials, evidence for broader effectiveness and successful implementation at a population level is still lacking, although epidemiological data suggest that such strategies are likely to be successful, at least for peanut. In this commentary, we explore the issues of translating evidence of efficacy studies (performed under optimal conditions) to make policy recommendations at a population level, and highlight potential benefits, harms, and unintended consequences of making population-based recommendations on the basis of randomized controlled trials. We discuss the complexity and barriers to effective primary and secondary prevention intervention implementation in resource-poor settings.