AU: Dangerous allergies soaring among pre-schoolers

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Dangerous allergies soaring among pre-schoolers

* By Tamara McLean

* June 17, 2007

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21920044-1702,00.html

THE number of pre-schoolers with potentially life-threatening food

allergies has soared five-fold in the past decade but experts are at a

loss to explain it.

A new report has found a dramatic increase in national hospital admissions

for anaphylaxis, particularly among children under the age of five.

Peanut allergies are the most common, followed by egg, cows' milk and

cashews.

Between 1994 and 2005, the number of admissions for allergy attacks rose

from 39 in every million youngsters to 194.

Allergy specialist Professor Mullins, the author of the report

published in the Medical Journal of Australia, said the huge increase had

been reflected in private allergy practices nationwide and was probably

just the 'tip of the iceberg'.

" People like myself are seeing this kind of extraordinary increase on a

smaller scale all over the place so there's a very clear trend, but we

just don't understand it, " Prof Mullins said.

A survey of his own Canberra clinic showed the number of children seen for

allergic problems rose four-fold over 12 years. But while there was little

change for eczema and hay fever, and a drop in asthma complaints, visits

for proven food allergies went up 12-fold.

The increase was seven-fold for the most serious type of reaction,

anaphylaxis, an immediate, often violent, whole body response which

requires urgent medical treatment.

" It's important for people to realise that were not talking about tired or

hyperactive kids, or a child with a snotty nose. That's not an allergy, "

Prof Mullins said.

" We're talking about proven allergic reactions soon after food, such as

severe facial swelling and rashes, vomiting and in some cases, potentially

dangerous breathing difficulties or collapse. "

He described food allergies as the 'new kid on the block', a relatively

recent phenomenon unfamiliar to older generations, and it is poorly

understood.

" We know it's specific to the Western world and that it's more and more

common but we don't know why, " Prof Mullins said.

The most popular explanation - that humans have become too clean for their

own good - could justify environmental allergens like dust, but not food.

Other options are links to breast milk, an increase in older mothers or

more exposure to potentially allergenic foods.

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The report calls for urgent, large-scale studies to confirm the increase,

evaluate the impact on the nation's health budget and plan for better

prevention and new treatments.

" One day we hope to be able to say that we have a way of desensitising to

food, like we already can with hay fever and venom allergies, " Prof

Mullins said.

*

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