9 Aug 2010 - News & Info - SPECIAL DIETS DIRECTORY

NICE has today (09 August) opened the consultation on its draft clinical guideline on the diagnosis and assessment of food allergies in children and young people. Its aim is to support GPs and other health professionals in primary care and community settings in recognising the signs and symptoms of food allergy, by giving clear recommendations on taking allergy-focussed histories to assess the condition.

Food allergies are adverse immune responses to food allergens. They are among the most common of the allergic disorders and are recognised as a major paediatric health problem in western countries. Reactions can be extremely severe; hospital admissions in the UK for food allergies have increased by 500%since 1990, and there has been a dramatic increase in prevalence in the last twenty years, ranging from 6% to 8% in children up to the age of 3 years across Europe and North America. The most common foods to which children and young people are allergic include cow’s milk; fish and shellfish; hen’s eggs; peanuts, tree nuts and sesame; soy; wheat and kiwi fruit.

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