COURTESTY OF GETTY IMAGES
s parents these days, we are
constantly being remind-
ed about the dangers of
food allergies. We have to be careful not
only about what our kids eat a home, but
also about what is served at birthday par-
ties, play dates, and even school with the
snacks that are provided.

At some summer camps, children wear
color-coded bracelets to indicate specif-
ic allergies. A by-product of helicopter
parenting? It would be easy to dismiss it
as that, until we hear that one in every
13 children, or roughly two in every class-
room, has a food allergy. And about 40
percent of kids with food allergies are
allergic to more than one food.

There has been some research to sug-
gest that our modern-day need to germ
proof absolutely everything has led to
an overuse of hand sanitizers and anti-
bacterial soap — and that this kills off
too much good bacteria, leaving us sus-
ceptible to more allergies. This is what’s
known as the “hygiene hypothesis,” says
Dr. Theodore Kim, principal physician at
Allergy Partners of Northern Virginia.

“Around the turn of the last century,
humans used to get a lot sicker on a reg-
ular basis, and our bodies were constantly
fighting off major infection,” Kim says.

“Now that we have such effective vac-
cines and advances in modern medicine,
our immune system is ‘confused,’ which
can result in immune system overreaction
such as in allergies.”
In May of this year, the American Acad-
emy of Pediatrics turned what we thought
we knew about kids’ food allergies on
its head. It has confirmed, as a result
of ongoing studies, that now expectant
mothers do not need to avoid peanuts or
other foods known to cause allergies, or
avoid giving those foods to infants, even
if there is a family history of allergies.

This erases the guidelines set in 2000
that advised giving hydrolyzed (broken
down) infant formulas to babies at risk
for food allergies and avoiding allergenic
foods like milk and nuts until after age 1.

“The latest studies support introduc-
ing foods early to babies to help prevent
future food allergies,” Kim says. “Intro-
ducing eggs between 4 to 6 months of age
and peanuts between 4 and 11 months of
age to children without high risk for food
allergies can help prevent egg and peanut
allergies, respectively.”
Although these new findings are both
promising and exciting, if one has high-
risk factors, such as a family history of
food allergies or moderate to severe
eczema, then these recommendations
may not apply. Best bet: Always check
with your doctor first.

Thankfully, if your child suffers with
food allergies, time can also be on your
side, as kids can outgrow allergies, but
little is still known as to why. Just as
suddenly as they can develop, they can
inexplicably vanish, and the body ceases
reacting to the allergen.

Research has shown that one in five
kids will outgrow their peanut allergies,
one in 10 will outgrow their tree nut aller-
gy, and many kids eventually outgrow
their milk, egg, soy and wheat allergy. Kim
suggests retesting your child for aller-
gies once a year in your allergist’s office.

Recently, he and his colleagues have seen
great success with food oral immuno-
therapy, where they give the patient small
amounts of the allergen over time to help
the body outgrow it.

“With our oral immunotherapy program
for peanuts, the patients start out eating
very tiny amounts of peanut protein,” Kim
says. “The amounts steadily increase until
they have reached a maintenance dose,
which is typically eight peanuts a day after
10 months of treatment. The main goal is
to prevent anaphylactic reaction from an
accidental exposure.”
one in every
13 children,
o r r o u g h ly
two in every
classroom, has
a f o o d a l l e r g y.

It is always a good idea to check with
your pediatrician if you think your child
is having any bad reaction to something
they are eating or drinking. Your doctor
may have the answers you need or they
may refer you to an allergist to see if
there is something more targeted going
on. Then you will know what the next
course of action should be while keeping
the health and safety of your child at the
forefront. T
Melanie Switzer Reilly is a Washington,
D.C.-based mom, television producer
and print journalist.

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