Having a food allergy as a baby is linked to asthma and reduced lung function later in childhood, according to a study. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, found that early life food allergy was associated with an increased risk of both asthma and reduced lung growth at six years of age.

The study involved 5,276 infants, who underwent skin prick testing to common food allergens, including peanut and egg and oral food challenges to test for food allergy. At six years, children were followed up with further food allergy and lung function tests. The results, published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, showed that by six years of age, 13.7 per cent reported a diagnosis of asthma. Babies with a food allergy were almost four times more likely to develop asthma at six years of age, compared to children without a food allergy.