Food Allergies In Children Are Steadily Rising

Food Allergies In Children Are Steadily Rising

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The U.S. News & World Report says the number of children with food allergies has increased 18% since 1993, and the number of kids who needed emergency treatment for food allergy reactions has tripled in that time. An estimated 6 to 9% of all U.S. children have a food or digestive allergy. At the same time, the incidence of eczema and skin allergies has also gone up. Health care professionals are quickly looking to find a reason for this increase in children's food allergies, as well as environmental allergies.

Kids' food allergies are frequently a terrifying ordeal for parents who observe their little one throwing up right after a meal, having problems with their breathing, or all of a sudden breaking out in a rash. Even though primary school and preschool food allergies are seldom fatal, they can lead to a great deal of unwarranted distress and need constant vigilance to keep problems from arising. Over time, the number of childhood allergies appears to be rising, but some say this is due to a greater recognition of the situation and more frequent testing.

Shrimp, milk, peanuts and eggs are the most prevalent food allergies in children. In other cases, kids may be hypersensitive to tree nuts, soy, fish and wheat. Food-related allergy symptoms range from a mild tingling sensation in the mouth, hives, diarrhea or stomach cramping to more serious symptoms including throwing up, difficulty breathing and tongue swelling. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases asserts that fatal allergic reactions are exceptionally uncommon, with only about 100 deaths per year involving a food-related emergency. Of all the foods, an allergy to peanuts is likely the most dangerous.

Unfortunately, testing children's food allergies with blood tests simply is not a reliable measure. "The only true test of whether you're allergic to a food or not is whether you can eat it and not react to it," explains Dr. David Fleischer, assistant professor of pediatrics at the National Jewish Health. He said that one blood test indicated a young boy had to be placed on a feeding tube because he expressed allergy symptoms to literally every food. Through food challenging tests, during which they asked the child to eat certain foods under doctor supervision, they were able to reintroduce 20 foods to his diet, so far.

Some doctors posit that their recommendations may have inadvertently played a role in children's food allergies. The American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology is currently re-evaluating guidelines recommending that eggs, peanuts and shellfish not be introduced to a child's diet until age 2 or 3. Early exposure to peanuts has shown to decrease the peanut allergy risk in 10,000 British Children (The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunolgoy, 2008).

About the Author:
If you're looking for food allergy help for your child, visit our site on Food Allergies in Children for the information you need.



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