Food Allergies 101- The Juries Still Out

I get asked all the time, "Why are food allergies more common these days?"

But is that really true, or are we just more aware of food allergies? It's an interesting question that was tackeled by Branum and Lukacs in this months issue of Pediatrics.

They looked at the databases from the national Center for Health Statistics for the incidence of food allergies and eczema. They found increases in food allergy and eczema in children from 1997-2007.

In which population were food allergies most prevalent? Non-Hisapnic White and Black and Hispanic Children had the highest prevalences.

While the number of outpatient visits for food allergy evaluation almost tripled during this period, we still don't know if we are diagnosing more food allergies or if the incidence is actually increasing.

Stay tuned!