STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Children aged 4 years old and younger who take multivitamins may reduce their risk of allergies when they reach school age, reports a new study (Am J Clin Nutr (October 28, 2009). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27963). Information on lifestyle factors, including use of vitamin supplements, environmental exposures, and symptoms and diagnoses of allergic diseases, was obtained by parental questionnaires for 2,423 Swedish children. In addition, allergen-specific IgE concentrations of food and airborne allergens were measured in blood samples at age 8.
Children who reported that they started taking multivitamins before or at age 4 had a decreased risk of sensitization to food allergens (odds ratio: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.97) and tendencies toward inverse associations with allergic rhinitis. However there was no consistent association among children who started to use multivitamins at or after age 5.
In addition, the study did not find a strong and consistent association between current multivitamin use and asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema or atopic sensitization at age 8.