Pre-chewing of infant food – expectations towards an old, traditional feeding habit for potential allergy prevention

Premastication is a traditional feeding method whereby solids are pre-chewed by the mother or sometimes by other relatives and then given to the infant along with the oral microbiota. The aim of this study was to assess if premastication is known or performed among the German population as well as to evaluate the expectations regarding this feeding method, particularly in the context of allergy prevention. Two surveys about premastication were conducted. For the survey of the "general population (GP)" 10,000 participants (18 to 65 years old) were randomly selected from the official population register of Berlin. The survey of the "selected population (SP)" was conducted by the patient organization German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB). 526 people from the GP and 220 participants from the SP completed the questionnaire. 15.3% (n=114) of all respondents had previously heard of premastication, 1.5% (n=7/455) of the people with children reported that they have performed premastication for their child. 42.8% (n=225) of the GP as well as 36.4% (n=80) of the SP could imagine performing premastication for their future child or grandchild. 59.3% (n=312) of the GP stated that they at least partially think premastication may help to prevent the development of allergies.Premastication appears to be barely known and practiced among the German population. However, a considerable proportion of participants would consider giving pre-chewed food to their infant. A high rate of respondents, especially among the GP, believed that premastication may have a positive impact on the prevention of allergies.