The short answer is yes.
In a recent, nationwide phone-survey reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2.1 percent of kids 18 and under were allergic to peanuts or tree nuts – up from 1.2 percent in 2002 and 0.6 percent in 1997 in similar surveys. And it isn’t just peanuts. I am also seeing increasing numbers of children with allergies to milk, eggs and soy, the other most common allergy triggers.
Why the Rise?
Medicine isn’t sure, but the uptick is part of an overall increase in allergic diseases, such as asthma, skin allergies like eczema, and pollen sensitivity that may be due to changes in the environment that are causing longer growing seasons and wider exposure to toxins.
Also, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to allergies, and it’s possible that some kids – now rightly protected against the known dangers of excess sun exposure or just not going outside as often as kids of earlier generations – aren’t getting enough of this vitamin, which sunshine can provide.
The rise in food allergies may also be linked to how we prepare foods. For example, in the United States, many of the peanuts we consume are roasted. This cooking process affects the nuts’ proteins, which increases reactivity in humans. In Asia, peanuts are boiled or fried, and there is a very low incidence of the allergy there.
None of these theories are medically proven, however; it’s probably a combination of all these factors. Nor is there a cure for children’s food allergies. All you can do for your child is to avoid or teach them to avoid the food or foods that trigger the allergy.
What To Do?
When children are young and just starting to consume foods other than breast milk or formula, parents should watch their child closely when new foods are introduced in order to identify any abnormal reactions. Food allergies usually show themselves within minutes after a child eats the problem food. Parents should look for hives or a rash that usually begins around the mouth and then may spread to the rest of the body.
If you see these signs, I recommend keeping a log of foods you think might be causing the reaction and then take it with you when your child visits a pediatric allergy specialist. The allergist can conduct one of two tests to confirm an allergy: a skin scratch test that introduces the allergen to a break in the skin, or a blood test that can detect antibodies for many foods.
In rare cases, food allergies can be severe – you should take any symptoms involving respiratory distress very seriously.
Subhadra Siegel, M.D., is a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center. The hospital is the advanced care pediatric facility for Westchester, the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, Conn. 877-962-3627. www.WorldClassMedicine.com/MFCH.
If the following signs are present after food ingestion your child should be taken to an emergency room immediately:
• wheezing
• gasping for air
• vomiting persistently
• complaining that his throat is closed
• unresponsive or acting unlike himself
