New advances in prevention of asthma and allergy in children

Respiratory infections
There may be a link, not yet firmly established, between bacterial infection in early childhood and the prevention of allergy and asthma later in childhood. This is suggested by the finding that children growing up with limited access to antibiotics have less allergic disease. Extensive exposure to animals in infancy also appears to be beneficial, suggesting that certain bacterial infections or bacterial products such as endotoxin can prevent the tendency of the immune system to produce allergic responses. This research does NOT mean that serious bacterial infection in children should go untreated!Fish oil
There is some evidence that asthma occurs more often in children who rarely eat fish, possibly because of inadequate omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.Early allergy injection treatment
Two studies in young children who became allergic to a single allergen such as house dust mites showed that allergy shots against that allergen prevented the development of allergy to other allergens. This suggests that allergy testing and injection treatment in children may be important to consider before the time when this is usually first done – i.e., under age 5 years. The cost-effectiveness of doing this is unknown at present.