Food allergies and children is an interesting field of study in science today because there is so much left to learn. For example, doctors know that the presence of the immunoglobulin E antibody in the blood indicates an allergy. Yet, they do not know what specific molecules are in specific foods that trigger the body’s immune system to attack a food as if it’s a foreign invader. It’s still very much a mystery why some kids break out in eczema, others have a strange tingling sensation in the mouth, and others still may suffer a life-threatening emergency. Researchers hope to learn why some food allergy symptoms clear up by age 10, while other allergies may persist for a person’s entire life.

Food allergies and children have been making headlines recently. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that food allergies are on the rise, with around 3 million children suffering with a shellfish, milk, egg, wheat or peanut allergy. This is an 18% increase since 1997, the center reports. As a parent you may feel alarmed and wonder what you can do to prevent this fate from befalling your precious baby. While there is little evidence, aside from old wives’ tales that allergies can be prevented, researchers are finding better ways to identify allergens and possibly treat them. In this article, you will read about the latest kids food allergy research.

“Children Can Complete Treatment For Peanut Allergies And Achieve Long-Term Tolerance, Studies Suggest,” reads a Science Daily headline. Duke University Medical Center doctors have been studying food allergies in children for a long time. At the beginning of the monitored clinical tests, participants with this type of nut allergy couldn’t even tolerate one sixth of a peanut, yet within six months they were eating 13 to 15 peanuts before a reaction occurred. Nine of the thirty-three children in the study have been on maintenance therapy for over 2.5 years; of these children, 4 can now eat peanuts freely. “It appears these children have lost their allergies,” explains Wesley Burks, MD. “This gives other parents and children hope that we’ll soon have a safe, effective treatment that will halt allergies to certain foods.”

“Possible Link Between Obesity and Childhood Allergies,” finds a study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This study looked at the link between food allergies and children who were obese (in the 95th percentile of the normal body mass index for their age/height). Researchers found that the rate of having a food allergy was 59% higher for obese children. The NIEHS report added that it’s especially important to combat epidemics like obesity and food allergies in children, which have been on the rise over the past few decades.

The difficult part about dealing with food allergies and children is sometimes explaining to the child why he or she cannot eat something that may be so tasty. A number of parents note that their children show positive results for having peanut allergies, so they wish to shelter them from this potentially toxic food. Doug Speight of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University reports that his work has shown 100% inactivation of peanut allergens in whole-roasted kernels and the processed peanuts showed no reaction in human serum tests from the extremely allergic. “We are extremely pleased that we were able to find such a simple solution to a vexing problem that has enormous economic and public health ramifications, both for peanut sensitive individuals, and the food industry as a whole,” reports Ahmedna, whose product is currently being developed.

If kids with food allergies is an issue that concerns you, visit our site on Food Allergies in Children for the facts you need.