The revised guideline on Primary Allergy Prevention

The recommendations of the revised guideline Primary Allergy Prevention published in 2009 are summarized and discussed. The updated guidelines do not further recommend reducing house dust mite allergen exposure as a measure of primary prevention. New suggestions include the avoidance of overweight, and reduction of the exposure to indoor and/or outdoor air pollutants. In line with the current guidelines, there is no scientific evidence that prolonged introduction of solid food is an allergy-preventive measure. Consequently, even children with a family history of atopy can introduce solid foods at the beginning of the 5th month. The recommendations on avoiding environmental tobacco smoke, breast feeding over 4 months, avoiding a mold-promoting indoor climate, vaccination according to current recommendations, and avoidance of furry pets (especially cats) in risk babies have remained unchanged.