SHAPE Trial: Skin Health and Allergy Prevention Exposure

Strategies that promote a healthy and diverse microbiome from early life, including careful management of hygiene practices, may be effective in preventing allergies. Excessive bathing, in frequency or intensity, using soaps and similar chemicals, may disrupt the skin barrier and developing microbiome, promoting aberrant immune responses directly or via promoting colonization by pro-allergic microbes.

Strategies to reduce antimicrobial use, detergent/soap exposure, scheduled bathing frequency, skin allergen exposure, and promoting microbiome diversity may support immune tolerance and prevent the development of food allergy. Our systematic reviews show that no clinical trial currently addresses the effect of an environmental package for the prevention of food allergy. Thus, investigators propose SHAPE, the first trial evaluating the feasibility of a multicomponent environmental package (MEP) as an approach to prevent food allergy in early life.

This randomized, assessor blinded, parallel, single center pilot trial will assess the feasibility in implementing MEP in preventing food allergy among infants. Birthing parents will be consented as early as 32 weeks gestational age up until delivery. After delivery, study staff will confirm eligibility and randomization will occur within 24 hours of birth among eligible neonates receiving either MEP (intervention) or standard of care (control) group in a 1:1 ratio.

The Evidence in Allergy group at McMaster University will coordinate this pilot study. Clinicians at prenatal clinics or postpartum ward of McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada will identify and invite pregnant women during third trimester to enroll their babies after birth in the study. Once the baby is born, study staff will screen and assess eligibility criteria for randomization. This trial will enroll healthy singleton, neonates born at term without complications. To be eligible, the newborn will have at least one of the following risk factors: is an only child (no live siblings); first-degree relatives (parents and/or siblings) with history of food allergy, allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis.

Once the signed consent form and eligibility are confirmed, study staff will randomize the participants to either the MEP (intervention group) or the standard of care (control group) within 24 hours of birth. Study staff will provide face-to-face instructions to the parents of the enrolled infant according to the assigned group. After enrollment, study staff will schedule follow-up calls and visits to collect data on adherence through web-based questionnaires at 4, 6, 9 and 12 months of age and in-office visits at 4 and 12 months.

At the end of study, investigators will review feedback from the parents about the intervention, mode and timing of delivery, follow-up phone call intervals and method (texting, phone calls, e-mails, or combinations), structure of the web-based questionnaires, tools for recording adverse events (e.g., electronic diary cards) for further tailoring of these methods before scaling up to larger trial.

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy singleton, neonates born at term (gestational age ≥37 weeks) (e.g. newborn without complications such as severe respiratory conditions, major congenital abnormalities, severe inborn errors of immunity [e.g. severe combined immunodeficiency], severe neonatal infections, neurologic impairment, and major gastrointestinal disorders).
• The newborn has any or at least one of the following risk factors: is an only child (no live siblings); first-degree relatives (parents and/or siblings) with history of food allergy, allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis.
• Parent(s)/guardian provided informed consent for the child's study participation.

Exclusion criteria

• Newborns born to mothers with positive routine prenatal screening for any of the vertically transmitted diseases (e.g. hepatitis B, hepatitis C, active syphilis or genital herpes simplex, Chlamydia trachomatis, gonorrhea and human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) that may prevent adherence to any of the recommendations of the environmental packages.
• Inability to adhere to the study procedures, e.g. severe maternal conditions (e.g. eclampsia, life-threatening conditions requiring intensive care admission) or neonatal skin conditions that require specific care practices.
• Ongoing participation in another interventional study (e.g. trials involving skin care with topical creams, medication or interventions related to allergy prevention) that may interfere with the current study.
• No access to phone, internet, or email (requirements to contact participant/guardian).
• Planning to move out of the province within 12 months of study enrollment.