Reported symptoms of food hypersensitivity and sensitization to common foods in 4-year-old children.

The following study comes from the National Institutes of Health via theFood Allergy and Intolerance Foundation research page.

AIM:

To characterize reported food hypersensitivity (FHS) among young children in a birth cohort.

Methods:

At 4 years of age a parental questionnaire on FHS and allergic symptoms was evaluated. Blood was collected for analyses of IgE-antibodies to egg, milk, fish, wheat, peanut and soy. Complete questionnaire data was available for 3694 children (90%), and blood samples were obtained from 2563 children (63%).

Results:

FHS was reported in 11% of the children (n=397).

Eczema was the most commonly reported symptom and the only symptom in half of these children.

Food-related reactions from the airways, facial oedema or urticaria were reported in 198 children, and the majority of these children (75%) reported multiple symptoms.

Furthermore, a combination of airway symptoms, facial oedema or urticaria together with sensitization to food suggested a more severe form of FHS. This was found in 1.6% of all children. Symptoms caused by peanut were closely associated with sensitization to peanut (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

FHS in 4-year-old children with any of asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis, facial oedema or urticaria in combination is in most cases associated to sensitization to food. This phenotype of FHS is likely to represent a more severe form of FHS.

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Ostblom E, Wickman M, van Hage M, Lilja G.

Source
Department of Pediatrics', Sachs' Children's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. eva.ostblom@ki.se

Article Courtesy:  Dr. Stephen Wangen