Ranging from moderate to severe, there is no question kids’ food allergies are on the rise. Though not as common as dairy, egg allergies are no picnic for sufferers as eggs are in an innumerable amount of foods at the grocery store. A new study suggests, however, that egg allergies may become unscrambled as time goes on.
Researchers in Greece have revealed that outgrowing egg allergies might become a “piece of cake″. The study found that by gradually exposing children to cooked or heated eggs, such as those in baked foods, could actually help kids overcome their allergy. The researchers hypothesize that cooking an egg may denature some of the proteins responsible for the allergic response.
Ninety four children were consistently given tiny amounts of a cake containing eggs. Spanning the course of several months, the kids were gradually given increased amounts of the cake. By the end of the study, 90% were able to eat the increased cake quantity remaining symptom free.
Although cake isn’t necessarily the healthiest test food, researchers followed up after 6 six months with a new egg option. The children were then challenged to eat an egg that did not undergo as extensive cooking as baking. Greater than 95% of the kids did not elicit an allergic response to the egg leaving researchers to conclude the egg allergy had been outgrown. The researchers say a controlled study, comparing treated children to untreated children, is in the works.
The findings are to be published in this month’s edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). The AAAI reports that 1 in 17 children under the age of 3 suffers from a food allergy, hen’s eggs being the most common. By the time children enter school, many outgrow their egg allergies but until then, dietary aversion is the only treatment. For some children, food allergies can be severe and it is not advised to undertake a food challenge without the being under the supervision of your doctor.
Tags: allergy, egg allergy
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on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 8:32 pm and is filed under Baby Food Allergy.
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