Food allergies, anaphylaxis affects up to 22% of European children

Up to 22% of European children reportedly have an allergy, and anaphylactic reactions to food are on the rise, according to a press release.

This increased and potentially fatal reaction in children has been cited in the new European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) guidelines on anaphylaxis.

“With this new document, EAACI aims to provide the scientific and health care community with recommendations based on scientific evidence for the recognition, evaluation and management of patients who have presented, are presenting or are at risk of presenting anaphylaxis,” Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos, MD, PhD, president of the EAACI, said in the press release. The document is expected to be presented at the EAACI annual congress in June in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The document, currently being drafted by members of EAACI, also states that more than 17 million people are impacted by food allergies in Europe. In addition, one out of every four European children of school age lives with an allergic condition, the release said.

The prevalence of anaphylaxis is estimated to be 0.3% in Europe; with epidemiological figures showing an incidence rate of anaphylaxis that ranges from 1.5 to 8 events per 100,000 person-years, with an increased case of anaphylaxis in the last 20 years.

“More attention is required on strategies to prevent the onset of anaphylaxis, to recognize symptoms and warning signs, and to determine when and how medicines should be administered, including self-injected adrenalin,” Antonella Muraro, MD, PhD, EAACI secretary general and chair of the guidelines steering committee, said in the release.