Food for Thought------Understanding Food Allergies in Kids

Poor food allergy knowledge and the lack of universal food allergen labelling laws places susceptible children are at risk EVERY year, thousands of parents learn of their children's food allergies following a reaction that can affect many body systems, including the skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and/ or cardiovascular systems. About 2 million school age children have food allergy, and one child in 20 under age 3 has food allergy in the United States alone, and yet there remains very little understanding of the difference between food allergy and food intolerance amongst the general public. Health experts say it's important to know the difference. "The public's food allergy knowledge and awareness is critical to the safety of children with food allergy, especially since 76 per cent of food allergy-related deaths follow consumption of foods outside of the home," says Ruchi S. Gupta, M.D., of the Mary Ann & J. Wilburn Smith Children Health Research Program at Children's Memorial Research Centre in Chicago. Food allergies develop when the immune system misinterprets a food as harmful and develops an immune response against the food. If a child develops allergy antibodies (called IgE) to a food protein, re-exposure to that food may be accompanied by a release of chemicals that produce the allergic symptoms. These symptoms, which usually develop within minutes, may include tingling in the mouth, hives, swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, wheezing or breathing difficulties, dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting. In severe cases, the airway can constrict. Food intolerance, where a symptom is triggered by a food or substance, is much more common than food allergy (only about 2 per cent of adults and 6 per cent of children have a food allergy). Food intolerance doesn't involve the immune system but can cause some of the same gastrointestinal symptoms as food allergy. For example, lactose intolerance, where people don't have the digestive enzymes to fully digest sugar in milk products, can cause bloating, cramping or diarrhoea. "If you have a food allergy, eating even the smallest amount of that food may trigger a serious reaction," says James Li, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic allergy specialist. "With food intolerance, you may be able to eat small amounts of problem foods without a reaction." Allergies can be diagnosed with skin and blood tests. Diagnosing food intolerance is a bigger challenge, requiring a thorough health history, Dr Li says. Misconceptions Common Dr Gupta says in the United States, food allergy knowledge in the general public is also poor concerning the absence of a cure for food allergies and current treatments. In a national sample of 2,148 adults who completed the validated Webbased Chicago Food Allergy Research Survey for the General Public, Dr Gupta and colleagues noted in report1 published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology that "the public's knowledge was strongest regarding symptoms and severity of food allergy, with nearly 95 per cent of participants recognising food allergy as a potentially fatal condition." Amongst the misconceptions, investigators reported that "almost half of participants erroneously believed that a cure exists for food allergy, and more than two thirds stated that a daily medicine could be taken to prevent a food allergy reaction. They also tended to overlook the necessity of strict allergen avoidance: more than 40 per cent of participants indicated that other means exist to prevent life-threatening reactions." Investigators conclude that "increased food allergy knowledge amongst the general public is needed, especially regarding the distinction between food allergy and food intolerance, current treatments available for food allergy, the absence of a cure, and the lack of preventative medications." Eight Red-Tagged The mNike Phantom Vision DF FG