01 Aug How Common Is Peanut Allergy Among US Children?

Posted at 17:26h in Allergies, Author Interviews by

Supinda Bunyavanich, MD, MPH, MPhil Department of Pediatrics- Allergy/Immunology Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology Mindich Child Health and Development Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029 USAMedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Supinda Bunyavanich, MD, MPH, MPhil
Department of Pediatrics- Allergy/Immunology
Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology
Mindich Child Health and Development Institute
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029 USA

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Bunyavanich: What is the prevalence of peanut allergy among US children? Given that 90% of US households consume peanut butter, this is an important question. We report and compare prevalence estimates of childhood peanut allergy according to varying criteria among 7-10 year-old children participating in a US birth cohort not selected for any disease. The prevalence of peanut allergy ranged from 2.0% to 5.0%, depending on definition.


Medical Research: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Bunyavanich: The prevalence of peanut allergy was high, especially when compared with previous estimates.  The results of the study support that peanut allergy is a prevalent condition in US school-age children.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Bunyavanich: Clinicians and patients should be vigilant for peanut allergy in children given its prevalence. The results stress the importance of current and future research on food allergy.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Bunyavanich: Research on the prevention and treatment of food allergy is needed. Research groups are examining risk factors for the development of food allergy as well as potential treatments. We should continue and build upon these efforts to reduce the burden of food allergy on children and families.

Citation:

Peanut allergy prevalence among school-age children in a US cohort not selected for any disease

Bunyavanich, Supinda et al.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

 

Last Updated on August 1, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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