Preventing food allergies by protecting babies' skin
Official title: SEAL (Stopping Atopic dermatitis and ALlergy) Study: Prevent allergy by enhancing the skin barrier
Funded at Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-11393205 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether starting a trilipid moisturizer plus early gentle topical steroids for babies with dry skin or early eczema can lower their chance of developing food allergies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $205,350 |
| NIH project number | 3U01AI147462-06S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393205 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are infants who show dry skin or the earliest signs of eczema within the first 10 weeks of life and who do not yet have diagnosed food allergies.
✕Less likely to help
Children who already have confirmed food allergies or older children beyond the newborn period are unlikely to gain preventive benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
If your baby develops dry skin or early eczema in the first weeks of life, this study would enroll them and start skin-focused treatment right away. Babies are randomly assigned to receive proactive care with a trilipid emollient and early topical steroid use versus a reactive approach when symptoms worsen. The trial plans to enroll about 750 infants and will follow them to see whether reducing skin problems prevents later food allergy. Doctors will monitor skin severity, any allergic sensitization, and food allergy outcomes over time through clinic visits and testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the number of children who develop food allergies by preventing allergen sensitization through damaged skin.
How similar studies have gone: Prior trials like LEAP and EAT showed early feeding can prevent peanut allergy and smaller studies suggest improving the skin barrier may reduce sensitization, but large randomized trials using proactive skin barrier treatment for allergy prevention are still limited.
Where this research is happening
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Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nadeau, Kari C. — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Nadeau, Kari C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Stopping Atopic Dermatitis and Allergy: Preventing Food Allergy by Protecting the Skin
A large study in infants at high risk for allergies tests whether using a skin barrier cream together with early, proactive skin care can prevent peanut allergy and other food allergies.
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SEAL Study: Preventing peanut allergy by protecting baby skin
This trial tests whether using a skin-emollient and proactive skin steroids early in life can prevent peanut allergy in high-risk infants.
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SEAL Study: Prevent allergy by protecting the baby’s skin
A very young group of high-risk babies will try a early skin-care plan to reduce eczema and prevent peanut allergy.
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Preventing eczema-related allergies by strengthening infants' skin barrier
This project will see if using a trilipid skin cream plus proactive mild topical steroids in infants with early dry skin or eczema lowers their chances of developing food allergies.
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SEAL: Stopping eczema and allergy by protecting the skin in infants
A large clinical study in early infancy tests whether using a skin barrier cream together with a gentle anti-inflammatory cream can reduce the chance of developing food allergies.
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Preventing food allergy by strengthening babies' skin barrier
See if giving a trilipid emollient plus proactive topical steroid treatment to infants with very early dry skin or eczema can lower their chance of developing food allergies.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.