Eating shouldn't be dangerous; for many kids, it is

For kids in the United States, eating is an increasingly risky business. Food allergies among children -- defined as people under 18 -- rose 18% from 1997 to 2007, a new federal report shows.

The report, released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that about 3 million children -- approximately four out of every 100 -- suffered from a food or digestive allergy in the previous 12 months.

The findings, culled from the National Health Interview Survey and the National Hospital Discharge Survey, also included these nuggets:

-- Hispanic kids appear less likely to suffer from food allergies. In the last 12 months, 3.9% of the nation's kids overall reported a food allergy, compared with 3.1% of Hispanic kids.

-- Prevalence shifts with age. In the last 12 months, 4.7% of kids younger than 5 reported a food allergy, compared with 3.7% of those 5 to 17.

-- Allergy-related hospitalizations among children are on the rise, from 2,615 for the 1998-2000 reporting period to 9,537 for the 2004-2006 reporting period.

-- The risk of asthma or other allergies increases dramatically for children with food allergies. They're two to four times more likely to suffer from these conditions than are kids without such allergies. For example, 8% of children without a food allergy suffered eczema or skin allergy, compared with 27% of children with a food allergy. Such statistics suggest hypervigilance on the part of kids and their parents is not unwarranted.

The most common food sources of allergic reactions are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network offers information on hidden sources of these foods and on how to manage food allergies.

Let's be careful out there.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: Adding whole grain wheat bread to your diet may be a great idea for many people, but not those with wheat allergies. Credit: Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times 

Comments

[Rachel Cohen]

Let's show some common sense, rather than using a scare hedline.

[Jane Smaith]

The University of Manitoba released a study this year proving that delaying the first dose of DPT vaccine by two months ( from 2 months to 4 months) cut the asthma rate in half. States are requiring children to take more and more vaccines each year, as the flu vaccine is being urged in preganant women and for babies as young as six months and each year thru the age of 5. If the timing of the first dose of DPT can have such a profound effect on the asthma rates, other vaccines must also effect allergic and other immune system functions. We need to overhaul the vaccine system - 48 doses of 14 different vaccines by the age of 6 is overdoing is. If more vaccines equalled good health, the U.S. would not have dropped from 12 to 29 in infant mortality since 1960.

[Jenna]

How about stopping the nonsense of not letting infants even see real food until they are at least 6 months old! Doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You delay food for such a long period of time, of course kids are going to develop allergies! Most kids don't see a peanut until they are over 2 years old, then they scatch their heads and can't figure out why there are peanut allergies? Here's a hint- they weren't exposed early on! Doctors will tell you when you have a cat or a dog in the house when you have children born they are less likely to develop allergies to animals. Why? Because you are exposed! For years children ate earlier, and there were no "off limit foods" until a certain age. I cannot remember one person my entire life with an allergy, or any kind of digestive problem from eating rice cereal at 2 months old instead of 6 months or later! Now my children go to "peanut free schools". Ummm....hello?

[con deely]

Jenna is 100% correct. Children are not introduced to food until 6 months' old; peanuts after 2 years' old. This was suppose to reduce allergies, but has had opposite affect. Both my children had rice cereal when they arrived home from hospital. c