Sardecka I, et al. - Given that the frequency of food allergy (FA) seems to have increased during the past 10-20 years and that understanding the risk factors for FA may help prevention of the disease, researchers investigated how the incidence of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in children in the first year of life could be altered by perinatal and environmental risk factors. Participants were 138 infants with CMA and 101 healthy infants without allergy. By means of an elimination test and oral food challenge, CMA was confirmed. Using a validated questionnaire survey, infant, parental, and environmental risk factors were evaluated. They found that, factors that increased the risk of CMA in children in the first year of life were a positive family history of allergy and mother's education. The factors that were identified to decrease the risk included having pets at home and a longer period of breast-feeding.