Food allergy affects 8% of USA children

A new study conducted by researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago, USA has estimated that approximately 8% of US children have some kind of food allergy. Of those children with a food allergy, almost 40% have a history of severe reactions, while 30% are allergic to multiple foods.

The study comprised a randomized, cross-sectional survey that was administered electronically to a representative sample of US households with children from June 2009 to February 2010. Complete responses were collected for 38,480 children. In addition to finding that food allergy prevalence is higher among children than previously thought, results showed the most common allergens for children are peanut (25%), milk (21%) and shellfish (17%).

Disparities in food allergy diagnosis according to race and income were also observed, with Asian and Black children found to be more likely to have a convincing history of food allergy, but less likely to receive a formal diagnosis when compared with white children.

The researchers reportedly hope their study will build awareness of the prevalence of food allergies, resulting in an overall improvement in the quality of life for children and their parents or caregivers.

Reference: Gupta et al. 2011. Pediatrics. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-0204