Peanut allergies strike earlier, study says

Peanut allergies strike earlier, study says
Beans and peanuts are displayed inside a grocery store near Hong Kong's financial Central district, September 7, 2007. Allergies to peanuts and other foods are showing up in children at younger ages for reasons that are not clear, researchers said on Monday, and some urged parents to postpone exposing susceptible children to peanuts. (Bobby Yip/Reuters)CHICAGO (Reuters) - Allergies to peanuts and other foodsare showing up in children at younger ages for reasons that arenot clear, researchers said on Monday, and some urged parentsto postpone exposing susceptible children to peanuts.
In a study of 140 children with peanut allergies, themedian age of the first allergic reaction was 14 months amongthose born between 2000 and 2005, compared to 22 to 24 monthsamong allergic children born between 1988 and 1999.
"There's a valid reason to delay introduction to productscontaining peanuts," said Dr. Todd Green of the Children'sHospital of Pittsburgh.
"When kids are older, it can be easier to manage badreactions. They can tell you right away if their mouths feelfunny. For that reason alone, it's worth delaying exposing yourchild to a peanut product, especially if a child is at highrisk," he said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, which published thestudy in its journal Pediatrics, recommends that children witha family history of allergies avoid peanuts until age 3.Studies have indicated that up to 1 percent of children have afood allergy.
"More research needs to be done to determine why peanutallergy in children is increasing and, most importantly, how tostop this increase," Anne Munoz-Furlong, director of the FoodAllergy and Anaphylaxis Network in Fairfax, Virginia, said in astatement. The group's data was used in the study.
Among an estimated 12 million Americans with foodallergies, nearly 2 million are allergic to peanuts, althoughup to 20 percent outgrow it, researchers said. Many patients inthe study were also found to be allergic to other foods,commonly eggs, soy, wheat, tree nuts, and shellfish.
As many as one-third of people with peanut allergies havesevere reactions such as trouble breathing, a drop in bloodpressure and gastrointestinal problems.
About 200 U.S. deaths occur each year due to food-relatedallergic reactions, usually involving peanuts or tree nuts,said another of the study's authors, Dr. Wesley Burks of DukeUniversity.
Usually, an allergic reaction will occur within seconds ofingestion in the form of an itchy rash, or swelling of theskin, followed by respiratory symptoms and vomiting.
"The take-home message here is that families in thatat-risk group have an antihistamine available and then not stayhome -- get medical assistance," Burks said.
Allergy shots generally do not work for food allergies,Green said, though Duke researchers are getting good resultsraising tolerance by giving sufferers small amounts.
(Editing by Michael Conlon and Vicki Allen)