Food Allergies on the Rise?

If your kids are in school, they no doubt know someone who has a food allergy. It is everywhere these days. Some people, even some experts, have said the increase is due to more parents reporting the symptoms. But a new study says that is not the only factor. More kids really are getting food allergies. But why? Here's the story from ABC. Do you know anyone with a food allergy? My kindergartner has one child in his class allergic to peanuts.

FROM ABC: New research from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics offers compelling evidence that the spike in childhood food allergies is for real. The study confirmed past findings that the prevalence for childhood allergies has increased at least 18 percent since 1993, and found that the number of visits to a physician, emergency room, or hospital clinic for food allergy-related care has tripled in that time period. Though the study cannot rule out increased reporting by parents as a contributing factor in this trend, allergists and pediatricians agree that food allergies in kids have become a growing concern.

Dr. Clifford Bassett, medical director of the Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, says "it's a mini-epidemic for sure." What has brought on this mini-epidemic? "That is the question that everyone wants to know the answer [to] and so far there is only speculation as to why," says Burks.

One theory is that certain foods, like nuts, may be introduced too early to children, perhaps as nut oils in creams or lotions used on infants, Bassett says. "Changes in the environment and food processing" is also "thought to play a part," Burks says. The leading theory explaining the effects of these environmental changes is called the hygiene hypothesis.

This theory "contends that immune systems become over-reactive in very clean environments, [like those] associated with the medicine and hygiene practices [used today]," says Dr. Bill Parker, assistant professor at Duke University Medical Center, and advocate of the hygiene hypothesis.

In these super-clean environments, he says, "the immune system essentially lacks a normal workload... however, [it] does what it is built to do, and finds something to attack, often directing its attention toward such harmless things as pollen grains ... even healthy food."

But whether it's exposure to certain foods too early or exposure to germs too late, once a child has an allergy, "the number one treatment is education [and] preventing reactions," Bassett says.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Mom & child with autism kicked out of Chuck E. Cheese's

A mom from Bloomington, Illinois was escorted out of Chuck E. Cheese's last week. I got an email from the McLean County Autism Society letting me know what happened. The mom has two sons with autism. They are on the Gluten Free Casein Free Diet. So the mom usually brings a sack lunch for them when they go to a restaurant because most restaurants do not have GFCF Diet options. That is what she did when her sons went to a field trip at Chuck E. Cheese's. Things did not go as planned.

HOI 19's Ashley McNamee drove to Bloomington this week to find out the rest of the story. Here is the verbatim. The video is now on HOINews.com:

Living with autism can make some everyday activities, like eating out with your family, difficult.Susan Perez has two sons diagnosed with autism. Like many children diagnosed with autism, they're on a medically prescribed diet filled with supplements and free of everything from gluten to casein.

"That's usually the typical, gluten and casein, but they also can't have soy, corn, potato, or yeast, so there are multiple things they can't eat." The Perez family brings their own food to restaurants or the restaurants help them meet special dietary restrictions. Normally, it isn't a problem.

But earlier this month they went to Chuck E. Cheese in Bloomington with a local school district's autism camp. "They actually confiscated the food as soon as we walked in the door," said Perez. Perez says she spoke to the manager, but was told Chuck E. Cheese has a strict policy not allowing any outside food into the restaurant, except some birthday cakes. "She wouldn't budge, I pleaded with her," she said.

When Perez and the manager were unable to reach an agreement, the Bloomington police department was called and Perez was forced to leave. In a statement to HOI 19 News, Chuck E. Cheese says they made several attempts to accommodate Perez and her family.
"Our manager offered to refrigerate their food until they left and tried to show the multiple products available that would be suitable for the needs of the individual," the statement said. Perez says that isn't true.

"No they didn't offer any alternatives, there was no discussion about any alternatives," said Perez. She says the whole experience was frustrating because it prevented her child with special needs from doing what normal kids do. "He can't eat the food provided at the restaurant but he still wants to be able to play with his friends, sit with his friends, and eat with his friends," she said.

What she wants is simple. "I think they need to change their policy," said Perez. She wonders when restaurants will be able to accommodate kids with special dietary needs so they can feel just like everyone else. Experts say autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. They say it affects more than one million people.

When I arrived at work this afternoon, I was surprised to see there are already several comments on the HOI website against this woman, blaming her for what happened. I wasn't there, so I cannot judge, but I did just interview a mom who has a child with peanut allergies. As I watched Ashley's story, I wondered what children with food allergies are supposed to do when their school has a field trip to Chuck. E. Cheeses. They just can't eat all day? They have to sit in the bus while the others eat? I don't know. It seems like there has to be a better solution to this problem. We all know more and more kids are being diagnosed with autism and with severe food allergies.

-NewsAnchorMom

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