Science stumped on food allergy trend in children

The Seattle Times ^ | November 29, 2005 | BRUCE TAYLOR SEEMAN

[neverdem]

CHRISTOPHER ROSSI / NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
Second-graders Isabel Parks, left, and Alyssa Luz-Ricca eat lunch in a "nut-free zone" provided by their elementary school in Arlington, Va. Some advocates are pushing for federal guidelines for schools to create emergency action plans for allergic students.

DAVID BITTON / COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE
A sign is posted in the gym at Kilmer Elementary in Colorado Springs, Colo., to remind students not to take peanut products into common areas at the school to help protect students who are allergic. © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

More information

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Web site: http://www.foodallergy.org

[Windsong]

LOL...they've truly lost it..

[LucyT]

Kiss fatal for girl, 15

Sat, November 26, 2005
By CP

SAGUENAY, QUE. -- A 15-year-old girl with a peanut allergy has died after being kissed by her boyfriend, who had eaten peanut butter.

The girl died this week, a few days after being kissed.

The teenager, who lived in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City, received a shot of adrenalin immediately after being kissed, but did not recover.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2005/11/26/1324591-sun.html

[writer33]

I guess it's time to start serving vanilla wafers for lunches at schools. We just can't take the chance.

[Mo1]

FYI - since you were asking about this last night

[colorcountry]

Perhaps it's because we've been playing with our immune systems since the 40's/50's.

Innoculations have probably saved thousands, if not millions of lives. We've tricked our systems into fighting viral and bacterial invaders though innoculations. Maybe this is a long-term consequence.

I said MAYBE.

[CJ Wolf]

In trying to explain the increase in allergies

How about before we figured out how to save these unfortunate souls with food allergies, they died. Removing them from the gene pool. Now we save them and allow them to reproduce and make more poor little souls with potential food allergy. Or 2: There are more people now that know what a food allergy can do then before, hence an increase in reports.

[norraad]

..either way, pass the peanut butter please.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Peanut Allergy May Have Genetic Link

http://allergies.about.com/cs/research/a/blpeanutgenetic.htm

Transplant Patient Inherits Nut Allergy

http://allergies.about.com/library/weekly/aa013103a.htm


Peanut Allergy: Where Do We Stand?

http://www.allerg.qc.ca/peanutallergy.htm

[mikegi]

This food allergy issue has gotten out of control. My wife had trouble supplying a snack for our daughter's preschool class because of the restrictions (take a look at how many products contain peanut or other nut oil in their processing).

I've read about the hygiene argument and it seems possible. I'm not a biologist and did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I've known several kids with peanut allergies. My parents' generation, who are now in their 70s, rarely had food allergies and even pollen allergies. I also noticed that many of them never wore glasses until they became farsighted with age. Of course, this is all anecdotal. I'd like to see something more scientific.

[CJ Wolf]

I feel for the poor kids and people that suffer from this. Maybe it's a miner's canary, but maybe it's just a glitch in how they were programmed. I hope they can fix it, I certainly don't want any of them to die.

[goodnesswins]

Early man probably ate LOTS of nuts, seeds, etc.....and some probably died because of the nuts.....just like some people who have bee sting allergies....well, sorta. Now, lots of babies survive who may not have otherwise, as others here have alluded....

[FreedomCalls]

My parents' generation, who are now in their 70s, rarely had food allergies and even pollen allergies.

On the other hand a lot of them died either in infancy or while they were toddlers. Did they even recognize those deaths as possibly allergy-related? Maybe it's just that children are living with an allergy in the 2000s that would have killed them in the 1930s and so it's just more visible.

[Arizona Carolyn]

When you understand what vaccinations are doing in the immune system I'm convinced there is a link. Purdue recently published the results of a study on vaccinated vs never vaccianted dogs that was enlightening; especially since so many dogs are suffering extreme allergies which vets cover up with Prednisone.

[conservative cat]

I never (knowingly) had food allergies as a kid. Now, as an adult, I have figured out I am allergic to tree nuts (not peanuts- thank goodness), soy, watermelon (!!), avocado, and a few other things I suspect (bananas, cucumber, and shellfish) but am in denial so I avoid most of the time and then pop Benadryl when I give in. I also have a slight problem with milk (skin problems) but can handle some dairy. Two of the kids have a dairy problem; one doesn't. I don't know what is going on, but I am not happy. I LIKE food and don't want to avoid it!!

[Riverine]

I've read a theory of some researchers that a child growing up with house pets is beneficial in that it "exercises" the immune system. seems as though there may be a connection to this issue.

[MHT]

I'll have to let my husband know that my "casual housekeeping" had its benefits as my children weren't allergic to peanuts. And thank heaven that they weren't as it was a lunchbox staple with three big boys to feed. In fact, if you forgot your lunch, the school had a jar of peanut butter for last-minute lunches. Furthermore, peanut butter was a standard food item given to you by the welfare department before the days of expanded food stamps benefits.

I'm 52 and don't remember hearing about food allergies until 1983. Then it was milk and red dye, not peanuts. The increase of such allergies is just as alarming as the genetic mutation of the flu. Things just get curiouser and curiouser.

[xroadie]

I never believed in this stuff until I saw my nephew nearly succumb to his peanut allergy. In fact, I think he attended one of the schools in Colorado Springs whose photograph appears in this article.
I am most sad because I cannot imagine a childhood without peanut butter!
I blame TV. I don't know why, I just do.