INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 10 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 09:00 am - 10:15 am Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental \| Congenital Conditions Final Abstract #78 Neurodevelopment in Infants and Toddlers with Gastrointestinal Food Allergy Alix McLaughlin, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, United States Renee Lajiness-O'Neill, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, United States Seth Warschausky, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States Patricia Berglund, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States Catherine Peterson, Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, United States Category: Medical/Neurological Disorders/Other (Child) Keyword 1: social cognition Keyword 2: motor function Keyword 3: medical disorders/illness Objective: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a food allergy characterized by severe gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which can lead to limited diets, feeding issues, and nutritional deficiencies. FPIES typically presents with introduction of first foods in infancy and toddlerhood. Despite the known impact of a limited diet on growth and development, no research has examined developmental outcomes in children with FPIES. The present study examined neurodevelopment in infants and toddlers aged 6-18 months with FPIES. Participants and Methods: A sample of 51 caregivers who endorsed having an infant diagnosed with FPIES were self-selected via online FPIES group. Validity checks were embedded into the online survey to increase likelihood of a valid clinical sample. The caregiver sample was 86% female. Caregivers predominantly self-identified as non-Hispanic White (92%). Caregiver age ranged from 23 to 42 years (M = 33.56, SD = 4.59). Caregivers reported high levels of education, with more than two-thirds of the sample having a college degree or higher, and family income was high; 61% reported at least $75,000 in yearly income. Infants were diagnosed with FPIES at 7.19 months old on average (SD = 3.01). Many infants had more than one food allergen/trigger (M = 6.23, SD = 7.23), and the most common allergens were cow’s milk (54.90%), egg (45.10%), soy (41.18%), and oat (37.25%). All infants experienced at least one FPIES reaction of severe GI symptoms prior to diagnosis, and total number of reactions each infant experienced in their lifetime ranged from two to 50 (M = 7.22, SD = 7.89). Caregivers completed measures of demographic/medical information, feeding problems, and the social/communication/cognitive development and motor ability domains of the PediaTrac, an electronic survey-based assessment of infant/toddler development. Results: Infants with FPIES were at-risk for problematic feeding concerns, with 68% reporting clinically at-risk or elevated ratings. Compared to a same-age PediaTrac comparison sample, Z-scores were below average for social/communication/cognitive (M = -0.74, SD = 1.30) and motor domains (M = -1.08, SD = 1.57). Bivariate correlations were calculated to inform hierarchical regression analyses to examine predictors of neurodevelopment. Correlation coefficients indicated that total number of recent FPIES reactions was significantly inversely related to both motor and social/communication/cognitive development, with more recent reactions associated with lower ratings of motor and social/communication/cognitive neurodevelopment. Feeding problems were linked to infant neurodevelopment, with more feeding concerns associated with lower neurodevelopmental ratings. In hierarchical regression analyses, problematic feeding and caregiver education predicted social/communication/cognitive development, with greater feeding concerns and lower caregiver education correlating with lower neurodevelopmental ratings. The only predictor of motor neurodevelopment was caregiver education, with greater education predicting higher ratings of motor ability. Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of early intervention for feeding problems and support early, serial developmental screening in FPIES care. Future clinical and research directions are discussed.

Poster

02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #78

Neurodevelopment in Infants and Toddlers with Gastrointestinal Food Allergy

Alix McLaughlin, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, United States
Renee Lajiness-O'Neill, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, United States
Seth Warschausky, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
Patricia Berglund, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
Catherine Peterson, Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, United States

Category: Medical/Neurological Disorders/Other (Child)

Keyword 1: social cognition
Keyword 2: motor function
Keyword 3: medical disorders/illness

Objective:

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a food allergy characterized by severe gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which can lead to limited diets, feeding issues, and nutritional deficiencies. FPIES typically presents with introduction of first foods in infancy and toddlerhood. Despite the known impact of a limited diet on growth and development, no research has examined developmental outcomes in children with FPIES. The present study examined neurodevelopment in infants and toddlers aged 6-18 months with FPIES.

Participants and Methods:

A sample of 51 caregivers who endorsed having an infant diagnosed with FPIES were self-selected via online FPIES group. Validity checks were embedded into the online survey to increase likelihood of a valid clinical sample. The caregiver sample was 86% female. Caregivers predominantly self-identified as non-Hispanic White (92%). Caregiver age ranged from 23 to 42 years (M = 33.56, SD = 4.59). Caregivers reported high levels of education, with more than two-thirds of the sample having a college degree or higher, and family income was high; 61% reported at least $75,000 in yearly income. Infants were diagnosed with FPIES at 7.19 months old on average (SD = 3.01). Many infants had more than one food allergen/trigger (M = 6.23, SD = 7.23), and the most common allergens were cow’s milk (54.90%), egg (45.10%), soy (41.18%), and oat (37.25%). All infants experienced at least one FPIES reaction of severe GI symptoms prior to diagnosis, and total number of reactions each infant experienced in their lifetime ranged from two to 50 (M = 7.22, SD = 7.89). Caregivers completed measures of demographic/medical information, feeding problems, and the social/communication/cognitive development and motor ability domains of the PediaTrac, an electronic survey-based assessment of infant/toddler development.

Results:

Infants with FPIES were at-risk for problematic feeding concerns, with 68% reporting clinically at-risk or elevated ratings. Compared to a same-age PediaTrac comparison sample, Z-scores were below average for social/communication/cognitive (M = -0.74, SD = 1.30) and motor domains (M = -1.08, SD = 1.57). Bivariate correlations were calculated to inform hierarchical regression analyses to examine predictors of neurodevelopment. Correlation coefficients indicated that total number of recent FPIES reactions was significantly inversely related to both motor and social/communication/cognitive development, with more recent reactions associated with lower ratings of motor and social/communication/cognitive neurodevelopment. Feeding problems were linked to infant neurodevelopment, with more feeding concerns associated with lower neurodevelopmental ratings. In hierarchical regression analyses, problematic feeding and caregiver education predicted social/communication/cognitive development, with greater feeding concerns and lower caregiver education correlating with lower neurodevelopmental ratings. The only predictor of motor neurodevelopment was caregiver education, with greater education predicting higher ratings of motor ability.

Conclusions:

Findings underscore the importance of early intervention for feeding problems and support early, serial developmental screening in FPIES care. Future clinical and research directions are discussed.