The effects of exclusion of dietary egg and milk in the management of asthmatic children: a pilot study:

Current understanding of the use of exclusion diets in the management of asthma in children is limited and controversial.The aim of this study was to examine the effects of excluding eggs and milk on the occurrence of symptoms in children with asthma and involved 22 children aged between three and 14 years clinically diagnosed as having mild to moderate disease. The investigation was single blind and prospective, and parents were given the option of volunteering to join the ‘experiment’ group, avoiding eggs, milk and their products for eight weeks, or the ‘control’ group, who consumed their customary food.Thirteen children were recruited to the experimental group and nine to the control group. A trained paediatrician at the beginning and end of the study period assessed the children. A seven-day assessment of food intake was made before, during and immediately after the period of dietary intervention in both groups. A blood sample was taken from each child for determination of food specific antibodies and...