Nursery World - Child health: Children's food allergies lasting longer than ever

Children are finding it harder to grow out of common food allergies, according to new research from the United States.

A team from a leading children's hospital carried out what they claim is the largest study to date on children who have milk and egg allergies.

They found a trend towards more severe and persistent allergies in children, although there was evidence that some lose allergies during adolescence.

The researchers say food allergies are more 'unpredictable' and 'aggressive' than before.

In America, 3 per cent of children are allergic to milk and 2 per cent allergic to eggs.

A team from Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Maryland followed 800 children with milk allergy and just under 900 with egg allergy over 13 years.

While earlier research found that three-quarters of children with milk allergy grew out of it by the age of three, the team said that only 20 per cent of children taking part in the study were no longer allergic to milk by the age of four and 42 per cent by the age of eight.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included