Food Allergies on the Rise in American Children

[elizabethkott]

Found this interesting article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081022/ap_on_he_me/med_child_food_allergies

Thoughts?

[LarsMal]

My least favorite line:

"Also, children seem to be taking longer to outgrow milk and egg allergies than they did in decades past."

Grrr...especially after the lovely reaction we just dealt with after I made a stupid mistake and gave DS something for lunch that was most likely contaminated with egg and/or dairy.

Sigh...

[maestramommy]

I tentatively agree that part of the rise in numbers may be due to more awareness, and more parents actually getting their kids diagnosed. Back in my parents' day, I think if a kid had eczema or athsma, food allergies would be the last thing they'd consider. Even today, it might not be at the front of the mind. There was a mom in my group whose son had pretty bad eczema his whole first year. After that it got a little better, and now it's a little better still. But it's never completely gone away. She has never once mentioned food allergies, her kid was on regular formula, then milk. I myself would've never thought about food allergies if it had not been for the women on this board. Apparently it never occured to her ped to bring it up.

I remember a few years back reading that some of the general rise in allergies may be due to our living in a much more sanitary environment. With the huge rise in use of hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soap, hepa filters in everything, and maybe fewer kids playing outdoors, our immune system has gotten weaker instead of stronger.

[ett]

My least favorite line:

"Also, children seem to be taking longer to outgrow milk and egg allergies than they did in decades past."

Grrr...especially after the lovely reaction we just dealt with after I made a stupid mistake and gave DS something for lunch that was most likely contaminated with egg and/or dairy.

Sigh...

:( DS2 has an egg allergy and everytime his eczema flares up I wonder if he was exposed to some kind of cross contamination.

[ThreeofUs]

Certainly, this study is interesting - it's self-reported answers to "does a kid of yours have allergies?"

I think what might be more interesting is the rise in diagnosed asthma and other, similar environmental and food reactions. Sure, the rise in allergies might be because of awareness, but the rise in asthma et al probably isn't.

[trales]

It just makes you wonder how much of this has to do with our environment, exposures, how we produce food, pollutants in air, chemical expose etc. All things have to playing havoc on our immune systems. It seems like more people have allergies, rashes, trouble concieving than 50 years ago. Maybe it was not talked about then, but that can't be the whole story.

Of my close group of friends which includes 9 children, 4 have moderate to life threating food allergies. Not to mention all the seasonal allergies.

The basic idea that so many children have such life threating allergies is really scary to me. Makes me want to wrap us all in a bubble and protect us forever.

[CAM7]

It just makes you wonder how much of this has to do with our environment, exposures, how we produce food, pollutants in air, chemical expose etc. All things have to playing havoc on our immune systems.

Some speculate it could be due to the increase in vaxes too.

[crazydiamond]

A related article - on asthma and allergies I read the other day.


http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20080825-000005.xml

First they tell us to have a clean house to help with this stuff, then they say we are too clean and let our kids play in the dirt.... on a farm. I can just see all us suburban parents loading our kids into the SUV's to head out to the country for "barnyard play dates" on the weekends.

[KrystalS]

I do not want to offend anyone who has children with allergies I just have a question. No allergies here nor do I know any kids with severe allergies. I was watching The Doctors the other day and they mentioned that one way kids can develop food allergies is when they are exposed to foods too early. How true is this? I mean if you give a baby eggs or milk too early is this what causes their allergy?

[sunriseiz]

I do not want to offend anyone who has children with allergies I just have a question. No allergies here nor do I know any kids with severe allergies. I was watching The Doctors the other day and they mentioned that one way kids can develop food allergies is when they are exposed to foods too early. How true is this? I mean if you give a baby eggs or milk too early is this what causes their allergy?

No offense taken. I really don't think any one knows. The immune system is truly developing from birth (or before) through age 2 at least. And, there are studies indicating both ways. That is, if kids are exposed too early they develop allergies and if they are not exposed early enough they develp allergies.

We've had no food allergies anywhere in our family until DS was diagnosed with peanut allergy a year ago. Really caught us off guard. DD has no food allergies and I really don't think we did anything differently. I know we will be cautious with DC#3 due in Feb.

[hellokitty]

Some speculate it could be due to the increase in vaxes too.

You read my mind. I believe it has to do with how many vaxes babies and kids are slammed with these days compared to when we were children. I have a lot of friends whose children have food allergies, some are life threatening. I remember *maybe* only knowing a couple of kids while growing up who had food allergies. I am sure increased awareness plays into it, but I believe that it goes beyond just parents being more aware.

[ThreeofUs]

It just makes you wonder how much of this has to do with our environment, exposures, how we produce food, pollutants in air, chemical expose etc. All things have to playing havoc on our immune systems. It seems like more people have allergies, rashes, trouble conceiving than 50 years ago. Maybe it was not talked about then, but that can't be the whole story.


ITA. I think the allergies, etc., might also be just the tip of a public health iceberg - and that scares the heck out of me. I mean, kids' bodies are reacting to something(s), and we may not know what those thing(s) are doing to their bodies long-term. {shudder} It's one reason I'm so conservative on diet, chemical exposure, etc.

[CAM7]

You read my mind. I believe it has to do with how many vaxes babies and kids are slammed with these days compared to when we were children. I have a lot of friends whose children have food allergies, some are life threatening. I remember *maybe* only knowing a couple of kids while growing up who had food allergies. I am sure increased awareness plays into it, but I believe that it goes beyond just parents being more aware.

And it's interesting that the CDC did this 'study'... although it doesn't seem too scientific.

[bubbaray]

Some speculate it could be due to the increase in vaxes too.

Except that theory goes against the hygiene hypothesis, which the PP reference above (ie., our environments are too clean and the child's developing immune system isn't challenged like in the past). A vax challenges a child's immune system, that is how they work. So, if you subscribe to the hygiene hypothesis, it is not logical to be anti-vax.

Personally, I think a lot of the increased incidence of allergies in children has to do with reporting. More people are aware that a particular reaction could be allergies, so it is reported as such. Hives, for example, are now considered a pretty clear allergic reaction. However, a generation ago, they probably would have been considered just another childhood rash.

Also, just a generation ago, foods were not considered capable of causing an allergic reaction. There has been a huge shift in medical science in just my lifetime on the issue of food allergies.

JMHO.

[CAM7]

Except that theory goes against the hygiene hypothesis, which the PP reference above (ie., our environments are too clean and the child's developing immune system isn't challenged like in the past). A vax challenges a child's immune system, that is how they work.

The amount of vaxes now aren't just a 'challenge' but a full blown assault to the immune system. Vaxes aren't just the virus in a wee bit of saline...but include all sorts of toxic ingredients.

Concerning the 'hygiene hypothesis'... dirt and grime is not injected directly into the body like a vaccine is. The immune system can take on a challenge like a dirty day at the park... but injected into the body? Different story.

I agree with a PP that stated that there seems to be more serious allergies now... I dont' remember signs posted like "peanut free zone" at the schools like I've seen a lot of lately. Where are all these serious allergies coming from?

[m448]

I think vaccines are a factor but over the course of generations.

My second child is the one with nut allergies (mild but enough to warrant an epipen) and he's fully unvaxed, didn't get a taste of solids or anything but breastmilk until 10 months old and is still nursing.

[DrSally]

THis is another interesting hypothesis I came across recently--a possible link between antacids and food allergies
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4395.php
DS was on Zantac, and looking back, he prob didn't need it as much as I thought. Ped suggested it for DD, and I decided against it based on this prelim info. Also, DD has has a lot less spit up as she's gotten older.

ETA: With Ds I did whatever I could to prevent allergies, as DH has seasonal allergies. To me, that meant BFing (he still is) and not introducing solids until 6ish months, and being very careful about introducing new foods. Unfortunately, he still got milk, egg, peanut, and mustard allergies