Children get food allergies from allergic parents

An epidemiological survey from Finland has looked into the heredity of food allergies. Results show the estimated risk of any positive food allergy test increased by a factor of 1.3 for each additional allergy manifestation in the parents.

The study focused on a population comprising all children (approximately 6,000) born from April 2001 to March 2006 in one province of South-East Finland. Using questionnaires, data were obtained on allergic manifestations in the biological parents of 3800 children. Manifestations of interest included food allergy symptoms, atopic rash, allergic asthma, hay fever/pollen allergy, or animal allergy.

Results of specific immunoglobulin E antibodies, skin prick tests, and open food challenges in the offspring were collected from patient records throughout the province. Up to the age of 4 years, the incidences of any positive food allergy tests in these children were threefold higher if both parents reported having any allergic manifestation and twofold higher if either mother or father had such a manifestation when compared with children whose parents did not report any of these conditions.

Reference: Pyrhönen et al. 2010. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2010.01095.x