Allergic diseases have increased in developed countries during the past decades. A cohort of Slovak children was followed from birth to track allergic symptoms dynamics in early childhood. Information on allergic symptoms (atopic dermatitis = AD, rhino conjunctivitis = RC, wheezing = Wh, urticaria = Ur) and food allergies among children was based on clinical evaluation of children by allergists at three developmental stages (infant, toddler, preschool). Out of 320 cases of allergies, 64 infants, 145 toddlers, and 195 preschool children suffered from AD, RC, Wh, Ur, or their combinations (i.e., significant increase with age, p < 0.001). AD first appeared in infants, Wh and/or RC rose mainly in toddlers, and Ur among preschool children. AD in infants or toddlers disappeared in the subsequent developmental stage in approximately one third of all cases. Single AD persistence without remission or extension was not common and accounted only for 6.9% of AD infants' allergic manifestations. In addition to single-symptom allergic diseases, this study also identified several combinations of atopic symptoms.Conclusions: The proportion of multi-symptom allergies increased while single-symptom forms decreased. The observed temporal trends of allergic symptoms correspond to the atopic march. What is Known: • The observed temporal trends of allergic symptoms correspond to the atopic march. What is New: • Allergic diseases in children were first manifested as single forms, with atopic dermatitis (AD) commonly functioning as the "entry point" to allergies. • The overall proportion of single-symptom allergic disorders decreased over time while the proportion of multi-symptom allergies increased.

1st Department of Pediatrics Faculty of Medicine Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University St Anne's University Hospital Pekarska 53 656 91 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Environmental Medicine Faculty of Public Health Slovak Medical University in Bratislava Bratislava Slovak Republic

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics College of Public Health and Health Informatics Emory University Atlanta GA USA

Department of Internal Gastroenterology Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University University Hospital Brno Brno Czech Republic

Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

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