Food allergies afflict up to 6 million kids – U.S. study

Food Allergies More Common Than Earlier Estimated

Food allergies are on the rise among American children -- as many as 6 million have them -- according to a survey published today in the journal Pediatrics.

One in 12 children in the country has a food allergy the most common of which are allergies to peanuts, milk and shellfish. Other studies estimated that between 2 and 8 kids out of a hundred has a food allergy of some kind.

At least 8 percent of American kids are either diagnosed with an allergy or demonstrated symptoms, the new study said.

Food allergies are a huge concern for parents as many food products contain ingredients that can trigger an allergic reaction that are sometimes fatal.

"What I hope this paper will do is open this awareness to how common (food allergy) is and how severe it can be, and develop policies for schools and sporting events and any activities that kids participate in to make it clear that everybody is looking out for these kids," study author Dr. Ruchi Gupta of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, told Reuters.

The researchers wanted to know the prevalence of food allergies by asking 40,000 adults with kids to fill out a questionnaire about signs and symptoms a child in the household may have demonstrated and if he or she has been diagnosed properly.

Besides the revelation that more U.S. kids suffer from food allergies is the finding that two out of five kids who have an allergy develop a life-threatening complication. The researchers also determined that Asian and Black children are more prone to having food allergies than their other counterparts.

Posted by George Daniels on Tuesday June 21 2011, 5:59 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0