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.

Most children with food allergies suffer mild but uncomfortable symptoms, such as loose stools, excess gas, diarrhea, constipation, nausea or vomiting. In some cases, blood or mucus will appear in the stools (particularly in the event of a milk allergy). It’s not uncommon for kid food allergies to cause hives, ear infections, stuffy/runny noses, watery/red eyes, wheezing, asthma flare-ups, eczema, localized rashes or mild tingling/itching in the mouth. In severe cases, anaphylaxis may occur within minutes or hours. The child may find it difficult to swallow, breathe or speak. Usually, they will begin to panic as they begin to feel their throats swell, and they will turn red, feel weak and may slip into unconsciousness. In this article, you will learn about some of the ways that parents of these afflicted kids are coping.

The main aspect of raising a child who has a food allergy would be to keep them safe. At home, you are going to have to make modifications in lots of of your recipes to make sure that your youngster does not be exposed to their allergens. It’s natural to feel frustrated and constrained at first, but after a little bit of digging, you’ll find alternates for pretty much all of your favorite recipes.

You can find a number of cookbooks, for example The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook, which offers in excess of 325 recipes containing none of the typical allergens, like wheat, milk, eggs, yeast, corn and sugar. Then there are cookbooks that are more specific to certain allergies, like milk, eggs and gluten.

As a parent of children with food allergies, it is also important that you educate the child about what a kid food allergy is, what the dangers are and about treatment for food allergy reactions. For younger kids, it’s helpful to read books on the subject, such as Ask Before I Eat, Allie the Allergic Elephant, Bugabees Friends with Food Allergies, The Peanut Butter Jam and The Terrific Tale of Teddy the Tummy. If your child is a little bit older, then you might enjoy watching the 84-minute documentary film by Kevin J. Lindenmuth, titled, “I’m Not Nuts: Living with Food Allergies.” Often if you attend local support groups, you will find a number of resources to help you when discussing food allergies with your child.

A good place to learn more about helping children with food allergies cope is www.allergicchild.com. This website is focused on helping kids who have food allergies to live the healthiest and most normal lives possible. Parents can sign up for free monthly newsletters with expert columns and may also read e-books; How to Send your Food Allergic Child to School; How to Help Your Child Succeed with Food Allergy and Behavior Manifestations: Giftedness, Autism & Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; How Do I Keep My Food Allergic Child Safe; and Traveling and Eating Out with Food Allergies. Allergy information is important in the early stages of your child’s diagnosis, but it is through support networks that you will learn to endure.

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

“We still like to sit here and watch him eat,” said the Ringstroms. Skin and blood tests showed that six-month-old Blake was severely allergic to just about all foods, save for pork and white navy beans. After a visit to the Mayo Clinic, their son Blake had a tube implanted in his stomach because he had such horrible food allergy symptoms. “We just changed our mindset,” mother Becky recalls. “We felt like this is helping him… this is his food. Some people eat with a fork, but for him… he eats with his tube.” Once Blake was at school, his parents began seeing how much his food allergy affected him as he watched other kids eat. The Ringstroms decided to look for another approach.

The Food Challenge tends to be the gold standard for diagnosing a food allergy. In a recent study, it was found that the best way to establish if a food allergy was present was simply to offer the child a tiny amount of that food in a clinical environment and gradually add to the amount until tolerance is attained. The study uncovered that over 50 percent of the foods that came back positive in allergy tests could be reinstated.

In another case, Drake Norvell’s family panicked when his food allergy surfaced. “The first time we found out [Drake] had a food allergy, he was about 4 to 6 months old, and I had fed him cereal,” Jessica Norvell recalls. “I gave him his first bite and noticed a few red spots develop. With the second bite he started coughing and I knew something wasn’t right, but a food allergy didn’t cross my mind.” Drake cannot eat peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, dairy, eggs, fish and shellfish. If he does, he will suffer allergic reactions like nausea, hives, low blood pressure and constricted airways. While most of his allergies have seen an improvement through Food Challenge testing, his tolerance for shellfish and peanuts has gotten worse, so it’s likely he will have a lifelong allergy to these foods.

Grayson Grebe, just four weeks old, had such bad eczema on his cheeks that his pediatrician thought he was undergoing a severe food allergy. At six months, he was diagnosed with allergies to eggs, nuts, wheat, rice, barley, oats, dairy, chicken, pork, beans and corn. By 10 months, fruit and veggies were ruled out and he was resigned to a life of drinking special formula. Not able to just accept this prognosis, the Grebes took Grayson to the National Jewish Health Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where medical professionals were able to add twelve foods to his food plan after Food Challenge testing. “It’s made such a lot of difference in our lives,” says Amy Grebe.

You’ll find many stories about food allergies in children. Some parents at the end of their rope say their lives have been transformed by Food Challenge screening. But this test isn’t for all children. Those with severe asthma, are otherwise unhealthy, or who have fainted during an allergy attack generally are not good subjects for testing. Moreover, the test is frequently very time consuming (six hours at a shot, once each week for months on end) and, as a result, extremely expensive. Other parents choose to get cookbooks with food allergy recipes and purchase specially made foods to get around the restrictive diet. Ultimately, it’s wise to talk to an allergy specialist to establish the most suitable solution.

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

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 often a frightening ordeal for moms and dads who observe their little one having a difficult time breathing, forming a sudden rash, or vomiting directly after a meal. Although primary school and preschool food allergies are seldom fatal, they can cause a great deal of unnecessary distress and entail constant awareness to prevent problems from manifesting. Over the years, the number of childhood allergies appears to be on the rise, but some people say this is the result of a greater knowledge of the problem and more frequent testing.

Peanuts, eggs, shrimp and milk are the most typical food allergies in children. In some instances, children are sometimes allergic to wheat, tree nuts, soy, and fish. Food-associated allergic reactions range from a light tingling sensation in the mouth, diarrhea, stomach cramping or hives to more critical symptoms like a swelling tongue, vomiting or difficulty breathing. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases asserts that fatal allergic reactions are extremely uncommon, with no more than about 100 deaths per year resulting from a food-related emergency. Of all the foods, an allergy to peanuts is almost certainly the most critical.

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).

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

Nasal allergies can be treated with a histamine blocker, a decongestant and prescription nasal sprays. Reduce the symptoms of histamine releasing into the nasal cavities with health information from an immunologist in this free video on allergies.

Expert: Ana Lamas
Bio: Dr. Ana Lamas is an immunologist and allergist with two practices in Miami, Florida.
Filmmaker: Paul Muller

Duration : 0:2:14

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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a child food allergy is more common than they had thought. In fact, in kids under 18, 12% tested positive for a milk allergy, 9% for a peanut allergy, 7% for an egg allergy and 5% for a shrimp allergy. Of course, these numbers may admittedly be over-inflated because their 2005-2006 sampling only showed that the kids tested positive for the presence of immunoglobulin E antibodies, which doesn’t necessarily mean they will have allergies. Additionally, these numbers also include those with digestive disorders (which is different than the immune system response of an allergy). Experts suspect that one-tenth of the children who test positive for the IgE antibodies will have a reaction.

At one time it was assumed that the only way to treat a child food allergy was to avoid any contact with that food for the remainder of one’s life. For people who test positive for allergies to milk, dairy, chicken, pork, rice, oats, barley, eggs, beans and wheat, this prognosis can seem like a death sentence. Yet a fresh approach is being implemented in several allergy clinics across America. A number of people respond to a food challenge, which gradually raises the patient’s dosage of the allergen until tolerance is achieved.

Anaphylactic shock is one danger of this sort of child food allergy test. In rare cases, a child with a severe allergy may suffer low blood pressure, stop breathing, turn slightly blue, lose consciousness and suffer multiple organ failure. Even if a child has only suffered a mild reaction in the past, there is still a possibility the next reaction may be more severe. Unfortunately, there are no tests to determine whether a reaction to peanuts will be a mild tingle in the mouth, a moderate case of hives or anaphylactic shock. On the other hand, being in a clinical setting is much safer than discovering an allergy out in the real world, where medical equipment isn’t ready to administer treatment for food allergy emergencies.

The key part of diagnosing a child food allergy is to examine the child’s food history. “What was eaten? What kind of reaction did he have?” the health practitioner will ask. After that, the doctor may prescribe a blood test or a skin-prick test for additional verification. “When you come to me and say, ‘My kid ate a peanut butter sandwich and within 15 minutes, his lips turned blue, he got hives and threw up,’ that’s enough to tell me the child has a peanut allergy,” says Dr. Hugh Sampson of Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “The more average history is that they were eating a meal and he had this horrendous reaction and they think it’s peanuts. It’s critical to carry out a blood or skin test to make certain.”

More often than not, a child food allergy is little more than an overreaction. “I see it all the time. A family goes in for one thing and comes back with a laundry list of foods they are supposedly allergic to,” says Jodi Stokes, who runs a support group for allergic families in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I tell them to go to a board-certified allergist who knows how to interpret these tests.”

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

Preventing allergies to pet dander involves keeping the pets out of the bedroom and off of upholstered furniture, bathing the pets on a regular basis and eliminating as much carpeting as possible from the home. Reduce allergies to dander in pets with health information from an immunologist in this free video on allergies.

Expert: Ana Lamas
Bio: Dr. Ana Lamas is an immunologist and allergist with two practices in Miami, Florida.
Filmmaker: Paul Muller

Duration : 0:1:8

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Robert Wood is a professor of pediatrics and chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Johns Hopkins, and professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Wood is an internationally recognized expert in food allergy and childhood asthma and has published over 100 manuscripts in scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Pediatrics, and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, as well as two books and numerous book chapters. He is deputy editor of the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, and was previously an associate editor of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Wood has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and is on the board of directors of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

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Treating pet allergies requires keeping the pet separate from the bedroom, not allowing it on the furniture, eliminating carpeting in the house and bathing the pets on a regular basis. Keep pet allergies to a minimum with health information from an immunologist in this free video on allergies.

Expert: Ana Lamas
Bio: Dr. Ana Lamas is an immunologist and allergist with two practices in Miami, Florida.
Filmmaker: Paul Muller

Duration : 0:2:4

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An allergy to chemicals, more appropriately known as a chemical intolerance, can only be treated by avoidance of that chemical. Avoid contact with an irritating chemical with health information from an immunologist in this free video on allergies.

Expert: Ana Lamas
Bio: Dr. Ana Lamas is an immunologist and allergist with two practices in Miami, Florida.
Filmmaker: Paul Muller

Duration : 0:1:3

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