More children suffer food allergies

An increasing number of children have food allergies, resulting in increased hospital visits and efforts by schools to cope with the problem.

According to a recent report in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 4 percent of American children — 3 million kids — have food allergies. That may not sound like a lot, but the number of children reporting food allergies has increased by 18 percent over the past 10 years.

Food allergies resulted in about 317,000 ambulatory care visits per year between 1997 and 2007. The number of hospitalizations concerning food allergies is on
the rise. According to

Pediatrics, hospitalizations increased between 1998– 2000 and 2004–2006, from an average of 2600 per year to 9500 per year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, eight types of food account for 90 percent of all food allergies: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. The CDC says allergic reactions to these foods can range from a tingling sensation around the mouth and lips to hives and even death, depending on the severity of the reaction.

The CDC says kids with food allergies are also much more likely to have other related conditions such as asthma than children without food allergies.

Sam Nichols, Dothan City School superintendent, said the city schools are aware of the growing allergy problem, and take steps to protect the safety of
students.

Nichols said when schools are made aware of a child’s food allergy, the system works to ensure that all the necessary schools staff - principals, school nurses, etc. - know about the problem.

“We try to take precautions to prevent any kind of reaction from a peanut or other allergy,” Nichols said.

Nichols said parents can best help schools prevent allergic food reactions by cooperating fully with school staff concerning documenting any allergies their children may have.