How common are food allergies in young children?
A. Very common. About 3 million children in the U.S. have food allergies, and the incidence in those under the age of 3 is one in 17. The good news is that many of these children will outgrow their food allergies. Q. Are food allergies on the rise? A. The incidence of food allergies in the U.S. are on the rise. This conclusion is based on reports from allergists across the country, as well as on studies of allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. For example, a FAAN study that was conducted in 1997 and repeated in 2002 showed that peanut allergy had doubled in children during that five-year time span. Q. Why are food allergies increasing? A. Scientists don’t know, but they’re trying to find out. One theory, called the hygiene hypothesis, holds that because children in our culture are exposed to fewer germs than our bodies are used to dealing with, the immune system, deprived of its customary full-time germ-fighting job, misidentifies certain foods as harmful. Q. How much of a food allergen
