Childhood Food Allergies Linked to Development of Asthma

Children who suffer from food allergies are at greater risk for developing more severe allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, as they grow older. These are the findings of the largest-ever national allergy study of more than 2 million patient visits.

Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading diagnostic testing company, recently released their Health Trends Report, “Allergies Across America,” detailing the results of the massive cross-sectional national allergy study. Early findings of the study have shown that asthma patients who underwent allergy testing had a 20 percent greater likelihood of having an allergy, especially indoor allergens such as mold and house dust mites, when compared to patients tested for allergies who did not have asthma.

The results of the study also show that while food allergies are more common among infants and toddlers, environmental allergies, including dust, ragweed and mold sensitivities, are more common among older children and adults. The full results of the study regarding the impacts of a total of 11 allergens on patients both nationally and regionally, as well as on the 30 most populous cities in the United States, will be released later this month.

According to study investigator Harvey W. Kaufman, senior medical director of Quest Diagnostics, “Allergy and asthma often go hand in hand, and the development of asthma is often linked to allergies in childhood via the allergy march,” a term that describes how allergic diseases progress throughout one’s life. (The progression begins with eczema in infancy, moving forward into food allergies as a toddler, into rhinitis as an older child, and onward to asthma later in life).

Regarding the study findings, Kaufman stated, “Given the growing incidence of asthma in the U.S., our study underscores the need for clinicians to evaluate and treat patients, particularly young children, suspected of having food allergies in order to minimize the prospect that more severe allergic conditions and asthma will develop with age.”

Among Americans, one in five suffers from allergies, and allergy-induced asthma is the most common type diagnosed. According to a report recently released by according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of people who suffer from asthma continues to increase with the condition now affecting nearly one in 10 children, as well as one in 12 adults.

The study also found that certain foods are the greatest culprits for allergies in children. Among these are egg whites and milk sensitivities suffered by 37 percent of and toddlers tested, while 36 percent of three-year old children were discovered to be sensitive to milk.

In children between the ages of six and 18 years, peanuts were noted to be the most common source of food allergy, affecting 26 among those tested. However, the numbers were higher for children aged five years and younger, among whom peanut allergies were found to affect around 30 percent of those tested.

Wheat is another major source of childhood food allergies with nearly one quarter (23 percent) of children ages 10 and under tested positive for wheat allergen sensitivities. However, beyond the age of 10 years, the rate declined.

Overall, beyond the age of eight, findings suggest that the rates of food allergies declined, while sensitivity to non-food allergens rose, which is consistent with the allergy march. High rates of sensitivities to environmental allergens such as house dust mites, cats, dogs, and common ragweed, continued through the age of 40.

Another finding of the Quest Diagnostics analysis is that young children from lower-income families who are enrolled in the government Medicaid program had an 18 percent less likelihood of receiving allergy testing than children from families with private health insurance coverage. This is likely a contributing factor to the increasing amount of asthma cases, as previous studies have indicated that early intervention can lower the chances for development of more severe allergic diseases.

Gary Puckrein, Ph.D., executive director, Alliance of Minority Medical Associations, and a report advisor explained, “Quest Diagnostics’ findings provide compelling evidence that economically disadvantaged children are less likely to receive the level of health care that can promote favorable outcomes” He then added, “This research should prompt policy makers, physicians, and, of course, parents to consider how different types of health plans may impact the quality of the health services our children receive.”