Evidence shows food allergies are increasing

More and more I am in contact with others who have food allergies. It's very challenging at home and out. I belong to a support group, and it has been my lifesaver in many ways, and hopefully others have support, too. Are more people getting food allergies?

There is evidence that food allergies, particularly in children, are increasing.

Current estimates suggest 6 percent to 8 percent of children ages 4 and younger have food allergies. Among adults, an estimated 3.7 percent have some sort of food allergy. The numbers are from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

In children, eggs, milk, peanuts and tree nuts cause the most problems. In adults, it's shellfish such as shrimp, crab and lobster; peanuts; tree nuts; fish; and eggs.

Eat a problem food and you might get hives, a swollen tongue or even experience a life-threatening reaction. Food allergies account for 100 to 200 deaths in the United States every year, mainly among those who unknowingly ingest a food that sets off a severe reaction.

Pediatrician Colleen Kraft said she is seeing more children with food allergies.

"Yes, and it's not only just my experience but it's also been published," said Kraft, immediate past president of the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"There was a recent report from the CDC in October 2008 that indeed showed that there are more kids being diagnosed with food allergies now than in 1997."

That Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report says food allergies increased 18 percent from 1997 to 2007 in children younger than 18, and that about 9,500 children are hospitalized annually because of food allergies.

There are various theories about why food allergies are increasing. More awareness and better recognition and reporting also could be factors.

One theory called the hygiene theory gets discussed a lot but lacks hard evidence, Kraft said. It suggests we are living in cleaner environments so children these days are not exposed to substances that prime their immune systems.

"Our bodies were making antibodies to all kinds of germs and organisms and dirt, things that were out and around," Kraft said.

"And now that we are living in a more sanitized environment, we don't have all of these different pathogens coming at us to make antibodies against. So we are beginning to make allergic antibodies.

"The other thing that has been brought up has to do with the amount of processed foods we eat and the fact that some of these food allergens can get into the food processing," Kraft added. "For example, a lot of processed foods will have peanut oils in them."

Kraft said there is evidence that breastfeeding can help reduce allergies in children.

On the other hand, a breastfeeding mother with a family history of food allergies should be careful about what she eats even if she herself is not allergic to a certain food.

"If they have a history or a family history of food allergy, particularly to dairy, wheat, peanut, soy and eggs, they should probably avoid those foods while they are breastfeeding," Kraft said.

The severity of the allergies determines how best to manage them. One of the best places to get information is the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network at www.foodallergy.org. On the research front, the National Institues of Health devoted about $13.4 million in 2008 to research on food allergies.