<![CDATA[Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum - Portal]]> https://www.scivillage.com/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:18:25 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Artificial eyes could bring human-like sight to self-driving cars, robots]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20611.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:19:20 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20611.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1130994

INTRO: Although self-driving cars and sophisticated robots use advanced cameras, computer algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to picture their surroundings, these artificial eyes struggle to remain reliable in mixed lighting conditions. A team of researchers, co-led by an engineer from Penn State, has proposed a solution that mimics the mechanics of the human eye to adapt from bright to dark light in seconds.

They did this by adjusting how one of the main electrical components used in these optical systems are built, employing a new design that swells or desorbs with water depending on the light levels present. The approach, detailed in a paper published in Nature Communications, illuminates a road to building systems that could potentially process light data faster and more adaptively than humans.

The improved components are known as memory resistors, or “memristors” — tiny electrical devices that can store information or data in a system, even if the original power source fueling the application is removed. These devices mimic the complex way neurons process and store data in the brain. Photomemristors are a type of memristor capable of sensing and collecting light information then translating it into an electrical current, a process that could more effectively power advanced cameras and optical systems.

According to Larry Cheng, James L. Henderson Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State and co-corresponding author on the paper, traditional photomemristors are calibrated and optimized for consistent lighting conditions. Although this allows the systems to work well in both bright and dark environments, maintaining recognition accuracy in changing or mixed lighting can be challenging.

“Self-driving cars are exposed to a mixture of light levels in use — imagine the contrast of the dark sky with the bright headlights of other cars when driving at night,” Cheng explained. “It can be difficult for an artificial optical system to distinguish details, like the glow of a red light, in these mixed lightning conditions.”

Inside the human eye, a series of rod and cone cells helps adjust vision to different lighting conditions. Specific pigments in the rod cells allow the eye to distinguish details, even in the dark. In bright light, though, these pigments in the rod cells “bleach” before slowly regenerating, while the cone cells remain to allow the eye to discern contrasting details. The team theorized that this process, mimicked in a photomemristor, could offer monitoring more adaptive and accurate than traditional designs.

To achieve this, the team mainly built their photomemristors out of two different materials... (MORE - no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1130994

INTRO: Although self-driving cars and sophisticated robots use advanced cameras, computer algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to picture their surroundings, these artificial eyes struggle to remain reliable in mixed lighting conditions. A team of researchers, co-led by an engineer from Penn State, has proposed a solution that mimics the mechanics of the human eye to adapt from bright to dark light in seconds.

They did this by adjusting how one of the main electrical components used in these optical systems are built, employing a new design that swells or desorbs with water depending on the light levels present. The approach, detailed in a paper published in Nature Communications, illuminates a road to building systems that could potentially process light data faster and more adaptively than humans.

The improved components are known as memory resistors, or “memristors” — tiny electrical devices that can store information or data in a system, even if the original power source fueling the application is removed. These devices mimic the complex way neurons process and store data in the brain. Photomemristors are a type of memristor capable of sensing and collecting light information then translating it into an electrical current, a process that could more effectively power advanced cameras and optical systems.

According to Larry Cheng, James L. Henderson Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State and co-corresponding author on the paper, traditional photomemristors are calibrated and optimized for consistent lighting conditions. Although this allows the systems to work well in both bright and dark environments, maintaining recognition accuracy in changing or mixed lighting can be challenging.

“Self-driving cars are exposed to a mixture of light levels in use — imagine the contrast of the dark sky with the bright headlights of other cars when driving at night,” Cheng explained. “It can be difficult for an artificial optical system to distinguish details, like the glow of a red light, in these mixed lightning conditions.”

Inside the human eye, a series of rod and cone cells helps adjust vision to different lighting conditions. Specific pigments in the rod cells allow the eye to distinguish details, even in the dark. In bright light, though, these pigments in the rod cells “bleach” before slowly regenerating, while the cone cells remain to allow the eye to discern contrasting details. The team theorized that this process, mimicked in a photomemristor, could offer monitoring more adaptive and accurate than traditional designs.

To achieve this, the team mainly built their photomemristors out of two different materials... (MORE - no ads)]]> <![CDATA[Chasing the ghost dog of the Amazon: New insights into a mythical canid]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20610.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:17:48 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20610.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1127831

INTRO: For decades, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) has been considered one of the least-known carnivores in Latin America, and potentially one of the least-known canids in the world. Because of its highly secretive nature, acute hearing, and strong sense of smell, this cryptic creature has successfully avoided people, leaving biologists with very few direct sightings in the wild.

However, a new study published in the open-access journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation now offers insights into the life of this mysterious Amazonian predator.

According to the study's lead author Robert Wallace, the turning point in their understanding of the ghost dog came with the advent of remote sensing. When researchers first started capturing pictures of the species with camera traps back in 2001, they knew they were onto something special and envisioned a comprehensive publication.

Over the span of nearly 25 years, scientists systematized 500 distributional records across Bolivia and conducted 34 intensive camera-trap surveys. These surveys took place across the lowland regions of Bolivia and Peru, primarily in the Greater Madidi-Tambopata and Llanos de Moxos Biocultural Landscapes.

Accumulating 594 independent photographic events, this monumental effort represents the largest collection of confirmed short-eared dog records anywhere within the species' distribution. The lead author highlighted that this research is a "wonderful example of how conservation technology and remote sensing - in this case the intensive use of camera traps - can provide substantial data on one of the least known species of the Amazonian rainforests".

What exactly does this ghost dog look like? The camera traps revealed a unique physical profile... (MORE - no ads)

https://youtu.be/ILC5Wezp0hk

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ILC5Wezp0hk]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1127831

INTRO: For decades, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) has been considered one of the least-known carnivores in Latin America, and potentially one of the least-known canids in the world. Because of its highly secretive nature, acute hearing, and strong sense of smell, this cryptic creature has successfully avoided people, leaving biologists with very few direct sightings in the wild.

However, a new study published in the open-access journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation now offers insights into the life of this mysterious Amazonian predator.

According to the study's lead author Robert Wallace, the turning point in their understanding of the ghost dog came with the advent of remote sensing. When researchers first started capturing pictures of the species with camera traps back in 2001, they knew they were onto something special and envisioned a comprehensive publication.

Over the span of nearly 25 years, scientists systematized 500 distributional records across Bolivia and conducted 34 intensive camera-trap surveys. These surveys took place across the lowland regions of Bolivia and Peru, primarily in the Greater Madidi-Tambopata and Llanos de Moxos Biocultural Landscapes.

Accumulating 594 independent photographic events, this monumental effort represents the largest collection of confirmed short-eared dog records anywhere within the species' distribution. The lead author highlighted that this research is a "wonderful example of how conservation technology and remote sensing - in this case the intensive use of camera traps - can provide substantial data on one of the least known species of the Amazonian rainforests".

What exactly does this ghost dog look like? The camera traps revealed a unique physical profile... (MORE - no ads)

https://youtu.be/ILC5Wezp0hk

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ILC5Wezp0hk]]> <![CDATA[Study links joint pain supplement to accelerating dementia]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20609.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:01:52 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20609.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131192

INTRO: New research has found an association between taking glucosamine, a popular over-the-counter supplement used for joint pain, and a higher likelihood of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease.

The finding by University of Florida neuroscientists is based on a large retrospective analysis of patients’ records as well as supporting data from advanced imaging technology used to scan human brain specimens and Alzheimer’s disease mouse models.

While the results are preliminary and require validation in a human clinical trial, they provide yet another piece of a much bigger mechanistic picture involving metabolic dysregulation and neurodegeneration, according to the study published today in Nature Metabolism.

“In the United States, there are about 7 million people living with Alzheimer’s and millions more with related dementias such as Lewy body or frontotemporal dementia,” said senior author Ramon Sun, Ph.D., director of the Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecule Research and associate director for innovation of UF’s McKnight Brain Institute. “A lot of these people actively take an over-the-counter supplement that could be making their disease progression worse.”

As glucosamine is widely available and commonly used by seniors for joint health, researchers set out to investigate whether it could have any effect in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, known as ADRD... (MORE - no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131192

INTRO: New research has found an association between taking glucosamine, a popular over-the-counter supplement used for joint pain, and a higher likelihood of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease.

The finding by University of Florida neuroscientists is based on a large retrospective analysis of patients’ records as well as supporting data from advanced imaging technology used to scan human brain specimens and Alzheimer’s disease mouse models.

While the results are preliminary and require validation in a human clinical trial, they provide yet another piece of a much bigger mechanistic picture involving metabolic dysregulation and neurodegeneration, according to the study published today in Nature Metabolism.

“In the United States, there are about 7 million people living with Alzheimer’s and millions more with related dementias such as Lewy body or frontotemporal dementia,” said senior author Ramon Sun, Ph.D., director of the Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecule Research and associate director for innovation of UF’s McKnight Brain Institute. “A lot of these people actively take an over-the-counter supplement that could be making their disease progression worse.”

As glucosamine is widely available and commonly used by seniors for joint health, researchers set out to investigate whether it could have any effect in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, known as ADRD... (MORE - no ads)]]> <![CDATA[Some drugs ‘fail’ because of unrealistic testing conditions]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20608.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:42:27 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20608.html More "duh" territory for anyone who has individually had repeated success with ___ in ways that don't package into a placebo context. But still realizes the futility (and recklessness?) of an outlier promoting it for either the general public or the statistically engendered and commercially deified "average person". (Sans the financial opportunism of the successful mountebank, who in this instance would unwittingly and perversely reap from an item actually effective under contingent circumstances.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Some drugs ‘fail’ because of unrealistic testing conditions
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131347

INTRO: A drug once dismissed as ineffective suddenly worked — when scientists tested it under more realistic conditions that mimic the human body.

In this surprising new discovery, Northwestern University scientists uncovered a hidden rule of drug behavior. A medicine’s effectiveness can change dramatically depending on the conditions inside our cells.

In the new study, scientists found that two fundamental features of human biology — body temperature and calcium levels inside cells — can change how drugs interact with their targets, sometimes even flipping a drug’s effect entirely.

The findings could help explain why some drug candidates look promising in early lab tests but fail later in development. They also could point toward a smarter way to design more effective medicines with fewer unwanted side effects.

The study was published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

“Drugs don’t act in isolation,” said Northwestern’s Wei Lü, who co-led the study with longtime collaborator Juan Du. “They act within the physiological environment of the cell. By incorporating temperature and calcium into our experiments, we uncovered drug activities that were completely invisible before.”

Lü and Du are professors of molecular biosciences at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, professors of pharmacology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and members of Northwestern’s Chemistry of Life Processes Institute. Jinhong Hu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Du and Lü labs, is the study’s first author... (MORE - no ads)]]> More "duh" territory for anyone who has individually had repeated success with ___ in ways that don't package into a placebo context. But still realizes the futility (and recklessness?) of an outlier promoting it for either the general public or the statistically engendered and commercially deified "average person". (Sans the financial opportunism of the successful mountebank, who in this instance would unwittingly and perversely reap from an item actually effective under contingent circumstances.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Some drugs ‘fail’ because of unrealistic testing conditions
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131347

INTRO: A drug once dismissed as ineffective suddenly worked — when scientists tested it under more realistic conditions that mimic the human body.

In this surprising new discovery, Northwestern University scientists uncovered a hidden rule of drug behavior. A medicine’s effectiveness can change dramatically depending on the conditions inside our cells.

In the new study, scientists found that two fundamental features of human biology — body temperature and calcium levels inside cells — can change how drugs interact with their targets, sometimes even flipping a drug’s effect entirely.

The findings could help explain why some drug candidates look promising in early lab tests but fail later in development. They also could point toward a smarter way to design more effective medicines with fewer unwanted side effects.

The study was published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

“Drugs don’t act in isolation,” said Northwestern’s Wei Lü, who co-led the study with longtime collaborator Juan Du. “They act within the physiological environment of the cell. By incorporating temperature and calcium into our experiments, we uncovered drug activities that were completely invisible before.”

Lü and Du are professors of molecular biosciences at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, professors of pharmacology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and members of Northwestern’s Chemistry of Life Processes Institute. Jinhong Hu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Du and Lü labs, is the study’s first author... (MORE - no ads)]]> <![CDATA[Scientists just cracked consciousness]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20607.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:39:53 +0000 Ostronomos]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20607.html A recent breakthrough in Quantum consciousness has sparked a flurry of research. God consciousness is connective consciousness that exists prior to matter:


https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/tksgeKs3Qhc]]> A recent breakthrough in Quantum consciousness has sparked a flurry of research. God consciousness is connective consciousness that exists prior to matter:


https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/tksgeKs3Qhc]]> <![CDATA[DIY: Why Germans are coming to Austria in droves (Survival Lilly)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20606.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 02:48:39 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20606.html About European taxes & destroying the middle class

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/4GVJBKxEWYM

VIDEO EXCERPTS: Germans are fleeing to Austria in droves. Here there's an article saying, "My brother and two friends have already left Germany. [...] Young people are losing faith in the future of Germany."

And why this trend is threatening Germany's economic competitiveness. Now, Germany is not only losing German citizens, native Germans, but also immigrants coming from other countries that maybe studied in Germany but are now moving back to their original countries.

The fact that Germany is also losing nurses and doctors to Bulgaria should be a major concern. An economist in Germany is warning of a tipping point in the immigration of young people from Germany and cautions that prosperity could simply vanish. Neither pension contributions nor children nor innovations would remain.

So now more and more young Germans come to Austria. And here they are saying that the amount in the last 10 years of German citizens in Austria has increased by 40%. That's 70,000 additional German citizens, and that makes them the greatest foreign immigrant group in Austria.

Also, especially younger men are coming to Austria between 25 and 45 years old. Older Germans like to immigrate to Spain. Switzerland is very popular amongst Germans, and more Germans are living in Switzerland than in Austria. However, the trend is reversing, and now more Germans are moving to Austria.

So now the question is, why is Austria such a popular country instead of Switzerland? The thing is that Austria and Germany belong to the European Union. So you can easily move from Germany to Austria without a lot of hassle. You know you don't need a special immigration approval or something. You can just move into a flat here and search for a job, and it's very easy.

Now the second reason why Germans move to Switzerland or Austria is actually the language. We speak the same language sort of. Okay, we have our different dialects, but we understand each other. And of course if you have the opportunity to immigrate, you want to immigrate to a country with the same language.

And Austria and Switzerland are not too far away from Germany. So you can still go home and visit your family. So the close location is also another reason why Germans come to Austria. Also, Germans are saying that if they move to Austria, it's warmer, closer to the Mediterranean.

[...] But now let's come to the main reason why Germans are imigrating. A lot of German young men are actually afraid that Germany will participate in a war...

Why Germans are coming to Austria in droves ... https://youtu.be/4GVJBKxEWYM

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4GVJBKxEWYM]]> About European taxes & destroying the middle class

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/4GVJBKxEWYM

VIDEO EXCERPTS: Germans are fleeing to Austria in droves. Here there's an article saying, "My brother and two friends have already left Germany. [...] Young people are losing faith in the future of Germany."

And why this trend is threatening Germany's economic competitiveness. Now, Germany is not only losing German citizens, native Germans, but also immigrants coming from other countries that maybe studied in Germany but are now moving back to their original countries.

The fact that Germany is also losing nurses and doctors to Bulgaria should be a major concern. An economist in Germany is warning of a tipping point in the immigration of young people from Germany and cautions that prosperity could simply vanish. Neither pension contributions nor children nor innovations would remain.

So now more and more young Germans come to Austria. And here they are saying that the amount in the last 10 years of German citizens in Austria has increased by 40%. That's 70,000 additional German citizens, and that makes them the greatest foreign immigrant group in Austria.

Also, especially younger men are coming to Austria between 25 and 45 years old. Older Germans like to immigrate to Spain. Switzerland is very popular amongst Germans, and more Germans are living in Switzerland than in Austria. However, the trend is reversing, and now more Germans are moving to Austria.

So now the question is, why is Austria such a popular country instead of Switzerland? The thing is that Austria and Germany belong to the European Union. So you can easily move from Germany to Austria without a lot of hassle. You know you don't need a special immigration approval or something. You can just move into a flat here and search for a job, and it's very easy.

Now the second reason why Germans move to Switzerland or Austria is actually the language. We speak the same language sort of. Okay, we have our different dialects, but we understand each other. And of course if you have the opportunity to immigrate, you want to immigrate to a country with the same language.

And Austria and Switzerland are not too far away from Germany. So you can still go home and visit your family. So the close location is also another reason why Germans come to Austria. Also, Germans are saying that if they move to Austria, it's warmer, closer to the Mediterranean.

[...] But now let's come to the main reason why Germans are imigrating. A lot of German young men are actually afraid that Germany will participate in a war...

Why Germans are coming to Austria in droves ... https://youtu.be/4GVJBKxEWYM

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4GVJBKxEWYM]]> <![CDATA[Why I left everything in Italy behind for frozen Svalbard (arctic community)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20605.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:21:18 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20605.html The apocalyptic seed vault in remote Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/AsADwB9fP4k

VIDEO INTRO: So guys, it's Giulia here, your Italian friend living on Svalbard. Today we're going to do a lot of things together.

[...] And that's why I have this dirty outfit. And that's because we're going to clean this car. It really needs some cleaning. So stay here with me and I'll catch you in a bit.

2,400 people in Longyearbyen. 4 months of complete darkness. Temperatures dropping to -40°. Why would a 24 year old girl choose to move to one of the places some people call the most depressing islands in the world? Well, this is my story.

One of the most asked questions was why did you move to Svalbard? Why did you leave Italy, such a beautiful country, to move in the frozen lands of the Arctic of Svalbard?

So, I would like to take the chance of this video today and tell you why I made this decision. That was probably the biggest decision of my life that changed my whole life completely. And I had zero idea that all of this was going to happen.

It's time to start cleaning the car inside. I'm quite embarrassed to even show you what it's looking like inside right now. But don't worry, we're going to fix that.

It's easy to talk about this now because I already know how the story ends. But back then, I had no idea. I was making a decision that almost nobody around me agreed with and that made it difficult not to question myself. This is so satisfying.

So, first of all, when did I move to Spalbert? It was November 2022. So, yeah, almost four years ago. In November, it's going to be four years. And I was 24 years old....

Why I left everything behind for Svalbard ... https://youtu.be/AsADwB9fP4k

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/AsADwB9fP4k]]> The apocalyptic seed vault in remote Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/AsADwB9fP4k

VIDEO INTRO: So guys, it's Giulia here, your Italian friend living on Svalbard. Today we're going to do a lot of things together.

[...] And that's why I have this dirty outfit. And that's because we're going to clean this car. It really needs some cleaning. So stay here with me and I'll catch you in a bit.

2,400 people in Longyearbyen. 4 months of complete darkness. Temperatures dropping to -40°. Why would a 24 year old girl choose to move to one of the places some people call the most depressing islands in the world? Well, this is my story.

One of the most asked questions was why did you move to Svalbard? Why did you leave Italy, such a beautiful country, to move in the frozen lands of the Arctic of Svalbard?

So, I would like to take the chance of this video today and tell you why I made this decision. That was probably the biggest decision of my life that changed my whole life completely. And I had zero idea that all of this was going to happen.

It's time to start cleaning the car inside. I'm quite embarrassed to even show you what it's looking like inside right now. But don't worry, we're going to fix that.

It's easy to talk about this now because I already know how the story ends. But back then, I had no idea. I was making a decision that almost nobody around me agreed with and that made it difficult not to question myself. This is so satisfying.

So, first of all, when did I move to Spalbert? It was November 2022. So, yeah, almost four years ago. In November, it's going to be four years. And I was 24 years old....

Why I left everything behind for Svalbard ... https://youtu.be/AsADwB9fP4k

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/AsADwB9fP4k]]> <![CDATA[Egg allergy rates declining in Australia via exposure in 1st year of life]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20604.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:59:04 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20604.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131299

PRESS RELEASE: Australian guidelines recommending egg be introduced into a child’s diet in the first year of life has seen the number of children with egg allergy drop by 17 per cent, researchers have found.

Research led by The University of Queensland and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute examined 7,200 children in 2 Australian population-based studies, to assess if egg allergy rates had declined since the introduction of 2016 guidelines.

Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin of UQ’s Child Health Research Centre said egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in young children.

“Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergy in the world with one in 10 infants allergic to one or more foods,’’ Dr Koplin said. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to show a reduction in egg allergy after the introduction of new infant feeding guidelines at a population level. Most parents followed the guidelines, and these results provide reassurance that this advice will help reduce the chance of their child developing an egg allergy.’’

Associate Professor Rachel Peters of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute said the reduction in egg allergy was even more pronounced in babies with eczema, which is a known risk factor for food allergies. Of these children, egg allergy rates were reduced from 35 per cent to 22 per cent.

“The introduction of the 2016 guidelines was a major change from most advice given in the 1990s and early 2000s which recommended parents delay giving eggs and other allergenic foods until 1-3 years of age if there was a strong family history of allergy,’’ Dr Peters said.

“Current advice from the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, based on the latest available evidence, is to introduce well-cooked egg and smooth peanut butter soon after a baby starts eating solid foods, usually around 6 months of age.’’

Other common allergy-causing foods such as cow milk, fish, sesame, wheat and tree nuts are also recommended to be included in the diet before one year of age.

Dr Koplin said more research into food allergies was needed. “Although we are beginning to see a reduction in egg allergy, it still remains common,’’ she said.

“Some babies can still develop food allergy despite following the guidelines, and further research is underway and needed, to find other prevention strategies. But we hope these findings provide reassurance to parents to continue following the current recommendations.’’

PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.2080]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131299

PRESS RELEASE: Australian guidelines recommending egg be introduced into a child’s diet in the first year of life has seen the number of children with egg allergy drop by 17 per cent, researchers have found.

Research led by The University of Queensland and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute examined 7,200 children in 2 Australian population-based studies, to assess if egg allergy rates had declined since the introduction of 2016 guidelines.

Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin of UQ’s Child Health Research Centre said egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in young children.

“Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergy in the world with one in 10 infants allergic to one or more foods,’’ Dr Koplin said. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to show a reduction in egg allergy after the introduction of new infant feeding guidelines at a population level. Most parents followed the guidelines, and these results provide reassurance that this advice will help reduce the chance of their child developing an egg allergy.’’

Associate Professor Rachel Peters of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute said the reduction in egg allergy was even more pronounced in babies with eczema, which is a known risk factor for food allergies. Of these children, egg allergy rates were reduced from 35 per cent to 22 per cent.

“The introduction of the 2016 guidelines was a major change from most advice given in the 1990s and early 2000s which recommended parents delay giving eggs and other allergenic foods until 1-3 years of age if there was a strong family history of allergy,’’ Dr Peters said.

“Current advice from the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, based on the latest available evidence, is to introduce well-cooked egg and smooth peanut butter soon after a baby starts eating solid foods, usually around 6 months of age.’’

Other common allergy-causing foods such as cow milk, fish, sesame, wheat and tree nuts are also recommended to be included in the diet before one year of age.

Dr Koplin said more research into food allergies was needed. “Although we are beginning to see a reduction in egg allergy, it still remains common,’’ she said.

“Some babies can still develop food allergy despite following the guidelines, and further research is underway and needed, to find other prevention strategies. But we hope these findings provide reassurance to parents to continue following the current recommendations.’’

PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.2080]]>