1 in 13 U.S. Children Suffer from Food Allergies, FAI-Sponsored Study Finds

Largest Food Allergy Study to Date Finds Food Allergies Are Increasingly Prevalent and Severe

According to a national survey of 38,480 families, 8 percent of children in the United States suffer from a food allergy – a considerably higher number than reported in previous studies. In addition to estimating that 5.9 million children under age 18 now have a food allergy, the new study, published in the July 2011 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides a wealth of important new information.

 “This is the largest study ever conducted on the prevalence of food allergy in U.S. children and it differs from previous studies in important ways,” said the principal investigator, Ruchi S. Gupta, MD, MPH, a pediatrician at Children’s Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Our goal was to paint a comprehensive picture of childhood food allergy in America. We began by surveying a representative sample of children in the U.S. and collected extensive information on each and every food allergy reported – including date of onset, method of diagnosis, and reaction history.”  Data on race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic region were also collected.

Key findings include:

  • 38.7 percent of the children in the survey had a severe or life-threatening allergy
  • 30.4 percent had multiple food allergies
  • Children with food allergies were most commonly allergic to peanuts (25.2 percent), milk (21.1 percent) and shellfish (17.2 percent), followed by tree nuts (13.1 percent), and egg (9.8 percent)
  • Severe reactions were most common among children with a tree nut, peanut, shellfish, soy, or fin fish allergy
  • Children aged 14-17 years were most likely to have a severe food allergy
  • Food allergies affect children in all geographic regions
  • Asian and African American children were more likely to have a convincing history of food allergy, but were less likely to receive a formal diagnosis when compared to white children

“This study confirms what so many families already know: food allergy is a large and growing public health problem,” said Mary Jane Marchisotto, FAI's executive director. “In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control estimated that food allergies affected 1 in 25 children; now it’s 1 in 13. That translates into 2 children in every classroom. It is especially disturbing to see how many of these children have multiple food allergies and have already experienced life-threatening reactions. From previous research, we know that food-allergic reactions send an adult or child to the emergency room every three minutes—every six minutes for potentially fatal reactions. Every day, we hear from families who are struggling with the emotional, physical, and economic impact of food allergies. That’s why FAI is committed to accelerating the pace of clinical trials that will lead to new therapies and, ultimately, a cure.”

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