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" Michelle Anixter was sure her infant son, Grant, had food allergies -- the Highland Park, IL, mom noticed that he often got hives and rashes around his mouth when he ate, but Grant&amp;#039;s pediatrician dismissed her concerns. Then, when Grant was 18 months old, a reaction to the MMR vaccine (which contains gelatin and very small amounts of egg protein) rendered him unconscious. Terrified -- and outraged that her fears had been wrongly dismissed -- Michelle grew determined to find a pediatric allergist who would take her seriously. Her new doctor conducted tests and found that Grant was severely allergic to peanuts, tree nuts such as walnuts, sesame seeds, eggs, and pumpkin. To everyone&amp;#039;s shock, the comprehensive, normally reliable tests missed one food, to near-fatal effect: When Grant ate fish for the first time at age 3, his mouth and tongue swelled up and he had difficulty breathing (part of an anaphylactic reaction). Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, where he struggled for his life for two days. Grant survived -- and more extensive tests confirmed he was allergic to fish. Even trace amounts of that or any of the other foods on his list could cause another life-threatening reaction. Since that frightening ordeal, Michelle makes sure Grant, now 9, and his brother, Austin, 7, who is severely allergic to eggs and tree nuts, aren&amp;#039;t exposed to foods that could harm them: She reads every food label closely and quizzes restaurant staff about how dishes are prepared. Grant carries an epinephrine pen, which can stop an anaphylactic reaction, and wears a medical-alert bracelet. He isn&amp;#039;t allowed to drink from public water fountains since they may expose him to trace amounts of food from the mouths of other kids. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a lot for a 9-year-old to deal with,&amp;quot; says Michelle. It&amp;#039;s also hard for her, she adds, to put up with eye rolls and comments from other parents who simply don&amp;#039;t understand how serious food allergies can be. An increasing number of children like Grant and Austin have allergies to everyday foods such as milk, eggs, peanuts, and fish. The prevalence of seasonal and other respiratory allergies also appears to be on the rise. The incidence of food allergies in particular has doubled over the past decade: One in 250 preschoolers suffered from peanut allergy in 1997 compared with one in 125 just five years later, according to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Experts aren&amp;#039;t entirely sure why allergy rates have skyrocketed, but one of the most recent and popular theories -- called the &amp;quot;hygiene hypothesis&amp;quot; -- focuses on a lack of early exposure to germs. &amp;quot;Children now live cleaner lives than ever before, thanks to vaccinations, antibiotics, antibacterial soaps, and other advances,&amp;quot; says pediatrician Scott Sicherer, M.D., author of Understanding and Managing Your Child&amp;#039;s Food Allergies. &amp;quot;Their immune systems may get misdirected and then attack normally harmless substances, like proteins in certain foods.&amp;quot; No one&amp;#039;s suggesting you stop cleaning your house, and doctors urge you to keep having your kids vaccinated. But do know that decreased exposure to germs may lessen your kid&amp;#039;s ability to fight them, and that soap and water are equally as effective as most antibacterial products -- without killing the &amp;quot;good,&amp;quot; protective bacteria that antibacterial products might. Genetics also play a role: If you or your husband have allergies, there is a greater chance that your child will have them too. One study showed that 25 percent of infants with a family history of allergies went on to develop them.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for allergies, and food allergies are particularly unpredictable and terrifying for kids and parents. But there are ways to help you recognize, treat -- and even prevent -- them. WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Your child may have a food allergy if he has itchy skin, a tingly mouth, rashes, hives, vomiting, stomach pain, and/or diarrhea after eating. The most common food allergies are to milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. They account for 90 percent of food allergy reactions. (Food allergies shouldn&amp;#039;t be confused with food intolerances or sensitivities, which can cause digestive symptoms similar to those associated with allergies, but don&amp;#039;t provoke the immune system response that causes hives, rash, and difficulty breathing. Children with food intolerances often can handle small amounts of the offending food without symptoms.) If left untreated, food allergies can lead to poor growth, life-threatening symptoms such as difficulty breathing and bodily swelling, and even death. THE ACTION PLAN: You can reduce your child&amp;#039;s risk of allergies as early as infancy: Studies suggest that exclusively breast-feeding babies for at least four months may help prevent or delay a cow&amp;#039;s milk allergy. If you can&amp;#039;t breast-feed, or you plan to supplement breast milk with formula, ask your doctor about hydrolyzed formula. And while it&amp;#039;s long been recommended that parents delay a child&amp;#039;s exposure to certain foods such as milk, eggs, and nuts, the American Academy of Pediatrics now states that there are insufficient data to support these guidelines. When your baby starts eating solids, introduce foods one at a time and watch her after she eats. Food allergy reactions usually appear within minutes, but can sometimes take several hours to show up. If you suspect an allergy, keep a diary of everything your child eats and any symptoms. If you&amp;#039;re unsure which foods are causing a reaction, your doctor may help pinpoint them by having you eliminate certain foods and then, under his supervision, reintroduce them to watch for symptoms. He may also refer you to an allergist. If your child is diagnosed with an allergy, you can help to address it by paying close attention to food packaging: The FDA requires that labels clearly state whether a food contains any of the top eight food allergens listed on page 210. If an ingredient list isn&amp;#039;t provided, mom Michelle Anixter says, she calls the manufacturer or simply doesn&amp;#039;t use the product. Make sure other parents, teachers, and caregivers know what to do in case of a reaction. And talk to your kid about how to handle one when you&amp;#039;re not there: Your child&amp;#039;s doctor may suggest she carry an epinephrine pen. As your child gets older, you may be able to gradually reintroduce offending foods, but check with her doctor first. The good news is, about 80 percent to 90 percent of egg, milk, wheat, and soy allergies vanish by age 5. Only 20 percent of children outgrow peanut allergies, though, and fewer outgrow allergies to tree nuts and seafood.  Even when your kid&amp;#039;s allergies are severe, your family can lead a normal life by making some adjustments. &amp;quot;We have learned to be very cautious, and to host gatherings so I can control which foods are served,&amp;quot; says Michelle. &amp;quot;We deal with risk every day and have to count on others to understand the seriousness of our situation. But we&amp;#039;ve found our normal.&amp;quot; ALLERGY TESTING 101  If it isn&amp;#039;t clear what&amp;#039;s causing your child&amp;#039;s symptoms, her doctor may suggest food allergy tests, which will help pinpoint the triggers so you can eliminate them from her diet. These tests can be performed at any age by an allergist or by your pediatrician. The two most common types can also be used to determine whether a child has outgrown a food allergy:   SKIN-PRICK TEST This test involves placing a small amount of a suspected allergen on your child&amp;#039;s skin through a prick or scratch on the back or forearm. A small red lump similar to a mosquito bite will form within 15 to 20 minutes if the test is positive. Skin tests are usually done because they&amp;#039;re rapid, reliable, and cost less than blood tests.  BLOOD TEST Less sensitive than a skin test, blood tests are most commonly used to monitor an allergy over time. Blood tests are also helpful if a child is on antihistamines, since the drugs won&amp;#039;t affect the results (as they will with skin tests). "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/advice/a3512/worried-about-food-allergies/>