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Approximately 8% of US children have some kind of food allergy, researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine reported in the journal Pediatrics. 38.7% of those with a food allergy have a history of severe reactions, while 30.4% are allergic to several foods, the authors added.
Symptoms in a severe reaction may include wheezing and anaphylaxis, when the patient finds it hard to breath and has an abrupt drop in blood pressure.
The most common allergens for children were found to be peanuts, milk and shellfish.
Previous studies had estimated that 4% of US kids have some kind of food allergy.
Study leader, Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, wrote:
"The large, population-based nature of this study shows that pediatric food allergy is a significant and growing problem in our society. Based on our data, about 1 in every 13 children has a food allergy. What's more, nearly 2 out of every 5 affected children suffer from a severe food-allergy.
For these children, accidental ingestion of an allergenic food may lead to difficulty breathing, a sharp drop in blood pressure, and even death. Now that we understand just how far-reaching the problem of food allergy truly is, we can begin taking the necessary steps to keep these children safe."
Approximately 8% of US children have some kind of food allergy, researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine reported in the journal Pediatrics. 38.7% of those with a food allergy have a history of severe reactions, while 30.4% are allergic to several foods, the authors added.
Symptoms in a severe reaction may include wheezing and anaphylaxis, when the patient finds it hard to breath and has an abrupt drop in blood pressure.
The most common allergens for children were found to be peanuts, milk and shellfish.
Previous studies had estimated that 4% of US kids have some kind of food allergy.
Study leader, Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, wrote:
"The large, population-based nature of this study shows that pediatric food allergy is a significant and growing problem in our society. Based on our data, about 1 in every 13 children has a food allergy. What's more, nearly 2 out of every 5 affected children suffer from a severe food-allergy.
For these children, accidental ingestion of an allergenic food may lead to difficulty breathing, a sharp drop in blood pressure, and even death. Now that we understand just how far-reaching the problem of food allergy truly is, we can begin taking the necessary steps to keep these children safe."
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