Food Allergies in Children on the Rise

By Rachel Stockton

According to an article in the journal Pediatrics, food allergies among children are on the rise in the United States.

A team of researchers led by Amy Branum, a statistician for the CDC, analyzed data from four different survey sources.  Specifically, from 1997-2007 food allergies reported by parents and health care providers increased 18%.  Additionally, ER visits resulting from food allergies increased three-fold from 1996-2006.

Branum acknowledges that one reason for the surge could be due to increased awareness on the part of parents; however, even with this possibility taken into account, the data indicates that, indeed, these allergies are increasing.  The most common food allergies in children are to peanuts, milk and shellfish.

Food allergies can be more than just an annoyance; while some cause vomiting and diarrhea, others can cause life threatening breathing problems that may not take place until several hours after the food is consumed. 

Food Allergy or Intolerance?

According to WebMD, many people confuse food allergies with food intolerance.  Food allergies trigger immune system responses while food intolerance doesn’t.  Food allergies can also be life threatening.

As part of their analysis, the CDC study looked at immunoglobulin E testing in the blood to verify whether or not children actually experienced an allergy rather than just intolerance.   IgE is an antibody that can be present in the blood stream when the body reacts to foodstuffs it’s allergic to. 

Lactose intolerance is often mistaken for a food allergy; in fact, it is the result of a deficiency of lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk.  If there is not enough lactase in the digestive tract, lactose will be used by bacteria, causing bloating, stomach pain and diarrhea.  According to WebMD, one in ten adults is lactose intolerant.