CNN reports that a new study by the University of Portsmouth published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology says that infants are probably not as allergic to foods as they think they are.
The study says that more than half of children scrutinized by researchers were avoiding some foods because their parents believed they were sensitive to them. However, only between two and six percent of infants actually have clinical food allergies.
The findings "emphasize the need for accurate diagnosis to prevent infants being on unnecessarily restricted diets, which may be associated with inadequate nutrition in this important period of growth and development," the researchers conclude.
The study says that more than half of children scrutinized by researchers were avoiding some foods because their parents believed they were sensitive to them. However, only between two and six percent of infants actually have clinical food allergies.
The findings "emphasize the need for accurate diagnosis to prevent infants being on unnecessarily restricted diets, which may be associated with inadequate nutrition in this important period of growth and development," the researchers conclude.
- KC's View:
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So much for relying on “Dr. Mom”…
Actually, we found this interesting because a friend of ours was telling us how he was suffering from a consistent lack of energy, and at the urging of his doctor, had a series of tests performed – and found out that he was allergic to an astounding number of foods that he was eating on a regular basis. He wasn’t aware of any food allergies to that point…
Still, we’ve often wondered about all the kids who seem to have food allergies these days, requiring separate tables in the cafeteria and a ban on certain foods in specific classrooms. It seems almost epidemic…and yet, we don’t remember, for example, any peanut allergies when we were growing up.
If this is evolution, there seems to be something wrong somewhere.
