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Peg has decided to blog to spotlight non-profits you may not have heard of, address local education issues, and provide social commentary on local, state, national and international issues to get things “off her chest." This may induce laughter, or rage, depending on your perspective. Peg is best known as a community activist. After graduating with a UCSB Sociology degree with an emphasis in American Socialization she began writing freelance articles for newspapers. For twenty years she had a special event company. Her first, foremost and favorite role is as mother to her two children. Her minimal spare time is spent writing, reading, gardening, practicing yoga, and planning travel adventures.

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Food Allergy: The Dangers of "Wait and See"

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Contributed by: Peg Hicks-Moore on 6/17/2007

This article, although ten years old, still holds true. Dr. Sampson is still the foremost authority on food allergies in the U.S. today. He no longer practices at Johns Hopkins.

Food Allergy: The Dangers of "Wait and See"
Reprinted from Food Insight

A new study by Hugh Sampson, M.D., associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, suggests that deaths or near-deaths of children with food allergies could be averted if parents and other caretakers considered the symptoms serious and obtained immediate medical treatment. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Sampson described six cases of fatal anaphylaxis and seven cases of near-fatal anaphylaxis that occurred in children or teens who inadvertently consumed a food allergen.

Although food-induced anaphylaxis occurs only rarely, its symptoms can be life-threatening: itching, hives, wheezing, swelling of the lips and throat, vomiting, loss of consciousness and cardiopulmonary failure. Dr. Sampson analyzed 13 cases of food-induced anaphylaxis that occurred in persons two to 17 years old, most of whom lived in three major metropolitan areas.

All of the individuals had asthma and a history of anaphylactic reactions to food. All 13 reactions were to common food allergens--tree nuts, peanuts, eggs or milk. In most of the cases, the allergens were found in commercially prepared food products that had been appropriately labeled. But the foods were given to the individuals out of the package, who consumed them
without knowing their ingredients. Four of the six cases of fatal food anaphylaxis occurred while the children and teens were at school.

Symptoms began three to 30 minutes after eating the allergen and became severe between 20 minutes and two and one-half hours later. In three cases, epinephrine had been prescribed for the patients but was not available during the reaction. Epinephrine is a hormone that counteracts the symptoms of anaphylaxis by raising blood pressure and opening the air passages to the lungs. Available by prescription, the medication is contained in a pen-like instrument that can be readily injected by pressing the point against a person's thigh.

The seven near-fatal cases of anaphylaxis occurred at private homes, mostly at those of friends or relatives. Although epinephrine was not administered immediately, all patients did receive it before their anaphylactic symptoms became severe. According to Sampson, the study points to the need for parents, physicians, school personnel, day-care providers and others to take food allergy more seriously.

"Because there are so many people today who claim to have food allergies, many physicians have become 'desensitized' to taking their symptoms seriously", Sampson said. "Those few with true food allergies must be given appropriate medical attention and should be instructed to take epinephrine immediately after experiencing a reaction." In an accompanying editorial, John Yuninger, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic, said that children over the age of seven can be taught to inject themselves with epinephrine. But, some state laws delay life-saving treatment by prohibiting non-medical personnel from administering the drug.

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