New Research: Childhood Food Allergies Linked to Asthma

According to a recent study, childhood food allergies heighten the risk for developing other allergy-related conditions such as asthma later in life. The Allergies Across America Report is one of the largest allergy-related studies ever completed. It looked at more than 2 million doctor's visits to examine the health impacts of 11 allergens. The study revealed several important findings about peanut allergies:

Food allergies commonly appear in infants and toddlers, with environmental allergies (such as those to dust, mold, and ragweed) commonly appear in adolescence or adulthood. Patients with asthma were 20 percent more likely to also have an allergy compared to patients without asthma.

Study investigator Harvey Kaufman says “Allergy and asthma often go hand in hand, and the development of asthma is often linked to allergies in childhood via the allergy march.” The 'allergy march' describes the progression from food allergies to non-food allergens. Kaufman states that the study “underscores the need for clinicians to evaluate and treat patients, particularly young children, suspected of having food allergies in order to minimize the prospect that more severe allergic conditions and asthma will develop with age.”

The study also examined the number of children allergic to certain foods. In children between 6 and 18 years old, peanuts were the most common food allergy, reported in 26% of children tested. Peanut sensitivities affected 30% of children under 5.

Read more about this important new research here: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/05/study-li...