CHILDREN diagnosed with food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) face greater risks of long-term feeding difficulties and recurrent respiratory problems. This is according to new research examining dietary behaviors and growth outcomes years after diagnosis.
The study followed infants initially diagnosed with FPIAP in a pediatric allergy clinic and reassessed them after a mean follow-up period of just over four years. Investigators evaluated growth and development, allergic disease progression, and parental reports of feeding behaviors through the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire.
Height and weight percentiles were found to be comparable between children with a history of FPIAP and healthy controls, suggesting no long-term impairment in basic growth measures. However, differences in feeding behaviors were clear. Children with FPIAP demonstrated significantly higher rates of emotional overeating, emotional undereating, food enjoyment, and strong desire to drink compared with controls. Rumination behaviors were also more prominent in the FPIAP group.
The findings extend beyond nutritional concerns. Recurrent wheezing, a marker of respiratory vulnerability, was more common among children with FPIAP than in their peers without the condition. This highlights the potential for allergic proctocolitis in infancy to signal elevated risk for later respiratory illness.
Taken together, the results suggest that while growth parameters may remain within normal ranges, children with FPIAP continue to experience meaningful challenges related to feeding behaviors and allergic comorbidities. The authors emphasize that treatment should go beyond elimination diets to include strategies for supporting nutritional adequacy and monitoring long-term health risks. Effective early management may help mitigate the burden of later allergic conditions and feeding disruptions.
Reference: Akbulut O et al. Food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis: long-term dietary behaviors and course of allergic diseases. Nutrition. 2025;141:112935.
