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Early Exposure to Peanut or Cows Milk
May Decrease Allergies to Those Foods.
In a recent study from Israel, infants were followed from birth and examined for the presence of allergy to milk. Children who received Cows Milk before 2 weeks of age were 20 times less likely to develop allergy than later introduction. This flies in the face of current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Early consumption of peanuts (1st year of life) has been associated with a 10 fold reduction in peanut allergy in a study comparing Jewish children in Israel where early peanut consumption is frequent compared to Jewish children in the UK.
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)00688-3/abstract
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(08)01698-9/abstract
Massachusetts Asthma Rate is Amongst
the Highest in the Nation
In the 2007/2008 school year, almost 77,000 children in grades K-8 (10.9%) had asthma.
http://matracking.ehs.state.ma.us/Health_Data/Pediatric_Asthma.html
An estimated 1 million New England adults are currently affected by asthma. The current adult asthma rate in NE was significantly higher than in the rest of the U.S. This held true even when rates were controlled for a number of potentially confounding factors that could influence differing rates across the country. New England had the highest current adult asthma rate of any of the ten regions and this rate was significantly higher than six of the other nine regions. The current adult asthma rate in New England was significantly higher than the rate of the other regions combined. New England’s rate was highest both in unadjusted analyses as well as when controlling for potentially confounding factors.
http://asthmaregionalcouncil.org/uploads/Surveillance.pdf
Allergy Shots are Effective in
Reducing Asthma Medication Needs
65 asthmatic children who were on a stable dose of controller medication were randomized into receiving allergy shots with dust mite for 2 years. The dose of the controller inhaler was then reduced and patients who received mite shots were able to reduce their dosage of controller asthma medication significantly more than children who had not been receiving shots. Other studies have shown the long term clinical efficacy of allergy shots. Patients receiving 3 to 4 years of immunotherapy for their allergies had significant improvement of their allergies. Patients who discontinued immunotherapy for as long as 3 years had a long lasting benefit both as measured by patient symptoms as well as by more sophisticated laboratory tests.
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)00898-5/abstract
Vitamin D Deficiency may be Important
in Causing Allergy and Asthma Instability
Vitamin D deficiency is found in mainly northern climates and these geographical areas correspond to areas where there are a large numbers of patients with hayfever, asthma, eczema and food allergy. In a study of over 1000 children with mild asthma those who were Vitamin D deficient had an increased risk of a major asthma attack over a 4 year follow up period. What is not clear is if correcting Vitamin Deficiency improves this risk.
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)00657-3/abstract
Can Peanut Allergic Children Be Desensitized?
Over the past several years as a result of careful studies the attitude towards peanut introduction has changed. We know that a positive blood RAST or skin test for peanut alone without a history of a reaction to peanut does not make the diagnosis of peanut allergy and many patients with low level of reactions can be introduced to peanut in the form of an open challenge in the allergist’s office. If this challenge is negative kids are encouraged to ingest peanut regularly several times a week. We also have learned that exposure to peanut dust or peanut containing creams will make patients much more reactive on oral challenge.
Peanut desensitization has been attempted over the past 15 years. The initial attempts at peanut desensitization in patients who are allergic on challenge were associated with several life threatening reactions. Recent studies with oral desensitization has been more successful demonstrating that following a slow oral tolerance protocol patients were able to tolerate limited amounts of peanut protein. This approach is not felt to be ready for prime time however and does not render the patient ‘cured’ of their allergy. The most promising approach being studied is using genetically engineered peanut protein that has been rendered non allergic but still stimulates the immune system.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19226304
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