UCC scientists in child allergy research breakthrough

Research by paediatricians at University College Cork’s School of Medicine reveals that analysing the weakness of a newborn infant’s skin barrier can help predict which child will develop food allergies.

It could also be used to intervene to prevent other allergic conditions such as asthma during childhood.

Published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, it shows simple non-invasive measurements of skin barrier function in the first few days of life can predict food allergy development. The information was collected by the BASELINE cohort study, jointly funded by Ireland’s National Children’s Research Centre and UK Food Standards Agency.