An epidemiological investigation of food allergy among children aged 3 to 6 in an urban area of Wenzhou, China

Abstract

Background The prevalence of food allergy (FA) has increased worldwide. In China, the prevalence of FA in infants and school-aged children is well known, but the prevalence in preschool children is unknown. Methods A total of 4151 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years in urban Wenzhou, China, were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Their parents completed a preliminary screening questionnaire, and a detailed FA questionnaire was given to parents whose children had suspected FA according to the preliminary screening. According to the results of the detailed FA questionnaires, some children underwent a skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) measurement. Children with abnormal SPT and/or sIgE results who did not meet the diagnostic criteria and those with negative SPT and sIgE results whose histories strongly supported FA underwent an oral food challenge (OFC). Results Of the 4151 children’s parents who completed the surveys, 534 (12.86%) indicated a positive medical history of FA. Among the 40 children who underwent an OFC, 24 were positive. According to SPT and sIgE measurements, 11 children were diagnosed with FA. The prevalence of FA was at least 0.84%; children who dropped out during the study were considered FA-negative. Among the 35 children with FA, the most common allergic manifestation was skin symptoms. The most common allergic foods were egg, fish and shrimp. Conclusions The parent-reported rate of FA in preschool children in urban Wenzhou was 12.86%. The prevalence of FA was at least 0.84%. Among all cases, the most common allergic food was eggs, and the most common allergic manifestation was skin symptoms. Trial registration NCT03974555, registered on 30 May 2019 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Multi-Perspective Observation on the Prevalence of Food Allergy in the General Chinese Population: A Meta-Analysis

“…Sensitivity analysis ( Supplementary Figures S6 and S7 ) did not find any individual study that significantly influenced the overall results in the meta-analysis for the prevalence of self-reported and self-reported physician-diagnosed FA, indicating that our statistical results were relatively stable. However, the stability of pooled prevalence of SPT- and OFC-positive FA was influenced by certain articles [ 37 , 43 ], with prevalence rates of 12.6% (95% CI, 11.1–14.4%) and 7.4% (95% CI, 6.1–8.9%), respectively, after excluding the influential articles ( Supplementary Figures S8 and S9 ).…”

Association between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Food Allergy: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

“…Prospective cohort studies are necessary to reduce the bias and confirm the association between FA and ASD. Third, question or questionnaire‐based diagnoses of FA might result in a higher prevalence of FA in participants with ASD according to our previous study [Dai et al, 2020]. And the question or questionnaire‐based diagnoses of ASD also are equally deserving of attention.…”

“…Regarding the diagnostic criteria of FA, questionnaires and medical records were the main sources, but this might overestimate the prevalence of FA in participants with ASD. In our previous study [Dai et al, 2020], the parent‐reported rate of FA was much higher than the prevalence of FA confirmed by an oral food challenge. Considering the difficulty of diagnosing FA in children with ASD, FA in children with ASD is worthy of attention, and the clinical history skin prick test and specific IgE are valuable for diagnosis.…”

Alteration of Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Oral Sensitized C3H/HeJ Mice Is Associated With Changes in Dendritic Cells and T Cells in Mesenteric Lymph Nodes

“…In the USA, the reported prevalence of food allergies was 7.6% in children ( 2 ) and 10.8% in adults ( 3 ). Although the prevalence of FA is not accurately known in China, the latest epidemiological survey in Wenzhou, China, reported a prevalence rate of 12.86% in preschool children ( 4 ).…”