High incidence and remission of reported food hypersensitivity in Swedish children followed from 8 to 12 years of age – a population based cohort study

Abstract

BackgroundFew population-based cohort studies have examined reported food hypersensitivity longitudinally. We investigated prevalence, incidence and remission of perceived food hypersensitivity among schoolchildren from 8 to 12 years of age, and risk factors associated with incidence and remission.MethodsA population-based cohort including all 7–8 year-old children in three Swedish towns was recruited in 2006. A total of 2,585 (96% of invited) children participated in a parental questionnaire. The children in two of the towns, n = 1,700 (90% of invited) also participated in skin-prick-testing with airborne allergens. The cohort was followed using the same methods at 11–12 years of age. At study follow up, specific IgE to foods was analyzed in a randomized subset of children (n = 652).ResultsThe prevalence of perceived food hypersensitivity increased from 21% at 8 years to 26% at 12 years of age. During this four-year-period, the cumulative incidence of food hypersensitivity was high (15%), as was remission (33%). This pattern was particularly evident for hypersensitivity to cow´s milk, while the incidence of hypersensitivity to other foods was lower. Female sex, allergic heredity, current rhinitis and allergic sensitization were associated with the incidence of food hypersensitivity and allergic sensitization was negatively associated with remission. Risk-factor-patterns for both incidence and remission were different for hypersensitivity to milk compared with hypersensitivity to other foods. Generally, the agreement between reported food hypersensitivity and IgE-sensitization to the implicated food was poor.ConclusionsIn this longitudinal, population-based cohort-study perceived food hypersensitivity was common among children between ages 8 and 12, often transient and not well correlated with food-specific IgE. While these findings suggest an overestimated prevalence of food hypersensitivity, the public-health-significance remains high as they reflect the perceived reality to which the children adapt their life and food intakes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2045-7022-4-32) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Milk allergy is a minor cause of milk avoidance due to perceived hypersensitivity among schoolchildren in Northern Sweden

“…By the time of the structured interviews, 30% of the children reporting milk hypersensitivity were no longer avoiding milk. This high prevalence of discontinued elimination diet complies with the high remission of reported milk hypersensitivity between eight and 12 years of age seen in a previous study from this cohort . All children who no longer avoided milk had reported partial milk avoidance.…”

Health Related Quality of Life among schoolchildren aged 12–13 years in relation to food hypersensitivity phenotypes: a population-based study

“…The current study was based on a study follow-up in 2010 when the parents of 2612 (96% of invited) children, now in ages 11–12 years, participated in a questionnaire survey [3]. Children in two of the municipalities were also invited to skin prick testing (SPT) with ten common airborne allergens, and 1657 (86% of invited) participated.…”

Food-Related Symptoms and Food Allergy in Swedish Children from Early Life to Adolescence

“…Family history of allergy [23–25] and allergic diseases in early life, particularly eczema [23] and Immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity [24–27], are established risk factors, whereas early life environmental factors and socio-demographic exposures remain incompletely understood [23, 25–30]. Less is known about the risk factors for, and the prognosis of FRS and FA from early life through adolescence.…”