Quoi de neuf en allergologie pédiatrique en 2005 ? Partie 1 : épidémiologie,diagnostic précoce et prévention (une revue de la littérature internationale d'octobre 2004 à octobre 2005)

The most important notions published in 2004–2005 concern a positive relationship between the risk of in utero sensitization and allergen levels in maternal blood, a neonatal deficiency of immune responses to microbial components in atopy-prone children, varying patterns of sensitization to aeroallergens, with frequent remittance of early sensitizations to seasonal allergens, in contrast with persistence of sensitizations to perennial allergens, an increased risk of sensitization to aeroallergens in children exposed to long-term background ambient air pollutants, an increased risk of polysensitization in siblings of polysensitized children, and a low efficacy of rigorous dietary egg exclusion during gestation and breastfeeding. The relations between the risk of childhood atopy and maternal parity, neonatal and perinatal conditions, vaccinations and infectious diseases in infancy, and early exposure to pets remain controversial. The predictive value of biological tests in newborns (total serum IgE determination and eosinophil count) is still disputed. Finally, several studies confirm the end of the allergy « epidemics » in Europe, although the prevalence of childhood allergic diseases is still increasing in Eastern European countries.