The food allergy crisis among children in America is spiraling, with national rates having soared alarmingly within the past decade. According to the Center for Food Asthma and Allergy, as many as one in 13 kids are faced with the potential of a severe, sometimes life-threatening reaction to everyday foods—a statistic that translates to about two per classroom, Healthy SA reports.
Symptoms of these allergies can range widely, and in young children, they may include vomiting diarrhea and cramps, and kids can also suffer from itching or swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth, or throat, difficulty breathing, wheezing, and lowered blood pressure. Dr. Ruchi Gupta from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine warns parents to look out for hives, swelling, redness, and itching that although common in cases of food allergies, these signs may present differently on various skin tones and are not definite indicators, she informed Healthy SA.
The list of usual culprits behind these allergies includes milk and eggs, wheat, soy, tree nuts and peanuts, fish and shellfish, with healthcare experts from Johns Hopkins University recommending avoidance of these allergens, especially in a child's first year of life. Gupta additionally pointed out to pay attention to babies who can't verbally express their discomfort, saying, "Because babies can't talk to you, it's important to watch them for any excessive fussiness or tiredness and lethargy," according to a Healthy SA article.
In the event that a child ingests an allergen early recognition and timely use of an epinephrine auto-injector such as an EpiPen can mean the difference between a scary episode and a fatal one, this is critical since an EpiPen can halt the allergic reaction but it’s crucial to act quickly," Gupta told Healthy SA. To further aid those dealing with such emergencies, there's an FDA-approved EpiPen alternative named AUVI-Q that provides audio instructions throughout the injection process—a boon for those in high-stress situations seeking to administer lifesaving medication to potentially distressed children.
