Food Allergies Among Children On The Rise
A CDC report released today supports a growing belief amongst allergists and pediatricians. Food allergies among children are on the rise, to the tune of a 18% increase over the last decade. Currently, approximately 4% of all children suffer from some sort of food allergy. Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat account for 90% of these.
What is most alarming about this report is that not only is the occurrence of food allergies on the rise in children, but that children with food allergies are nearly three times as likely to suffer from respiratory or skin allergies as well. Roughly 30% of children with food allergies also suffer from respiratory allergies. Additionally, 25% of children with food allergies also suffer from eczema or skin allergies. Those without food allergies suffer from either respiratory or skin allergies less than 10% of the time.
There is no consensus as to why the increase is occurring in the U.S. What is known is that similar trends appear to be common in countries where the diet is similar to that found in the U.S. One interesting note is that in countries like China, peanuts are consumed nearly as frequently as in the U.S., but the occurrence of allergies related to peanuts is much lower. One possible reason could be in the way peanuts are prepared before consumption. In the U.S. most are dry roasted whereas in China most peanuts are boiled or fried.
What is clear from this study is that food allergies among children is a growing problem. Regardless of the causes, it is an issue that must be met with more research. For now the best advice is early diagnosis and avoidance. Through education and preventative measures, we all can work to ensure our children are safe.
For a full copy of the report, click here.
*The CDC data come from two sources: the National Health Interview Survey, which sampled some 9,500 children in 2007; and the National Hospital Discharge Survey, which includes 270,000 inpatient records from about 500 hospitals.
What is most alarming about this report is that not only is the occurrence of food allergies on the rise in children, but that children with food allergies are nearly three times as likely to suffer from respiratory or skin allergies as well. Roughly 30% of children with food allergies also suffer from respiratory allergies. Additionally, 25% of children with food allergies also suffer from eczema or skin allergies. Those without food allergies suffer from either respiratory or skin allergies less than 10% of the time.
There is no consensus as to why the increase is occurring in the U.S. What is known is that similar trends appear to be common in countries where the diet is similar to that found in the U.S. One interesting note is that in countries like China, peanuts are consumed nearly as frequently as in the U.S., but the occurrence of allergies related to peanuts is much lower. One possible reason could be in the way peanuts are prepared before consumption. In the U.S. most are dry roasted whereas in China most peanuts are boiled or fried.
What is clear from this study is that food allergies among children is a growing problem. Regardless of the causes, it is an issue that must be met with more research. For now the best advice is early diagnosis and avoidance. Through education and preventative measures, we all can work to ensure our children are safe.
For a full copy of the report, click here.
*The CDC data come from two sources: the National Health Interview Survey, which sampled some 9,500 children in 2007; and the National Hospital Discharge Survey, which includes 270,000 inpatient records from about 500 hospitals.
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