Allergic Diseases in Children

Causes of Allergic Disease in Children

Allergic diseases are mostly caused by inhalant allergens, in particular mold and pollens, climate changes, food allergies, asthma etc.

Clinical Features of Allergic diseases in Children

Most common allergies dealt with the Children include:-

Food Intolerance (nonimmunological reactions)

The majority of adverse reactions to foods are mediated by non-immunological mechanisms. The most important cause of food-related reactions is toxic or microbial contamination.

Metabolic reactions are mainly due to problems in digesting carbohydrates, especially lactose, and involve symptoms related to the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, abdominal bloating and cramping)

Food Allergies (immunological reactions)

The prevalence of IgE-mediated food allergies is unknown and appears to be anywhere between 3% and 7.5%; the higher frequencies usually occurring in younger children. One and one-half per cent of infants will experience milk allergy during the first year of life. Of those children, 15% will retain their sensitivity into their second decade of life, and 35% will have allergies to other foods. Egg allergy is believed to affect about 1.3% of children, and peanut allergy about 0.5% of children.

Genetic predisposition, the allergenicity of food and the timing of exposure will determine the foods to which the atopic child develops allergy. A wide variety of foods have been reported to trigger anaphylaxis, with peanut, tree nuts, fish, seafood, egg and milk being the most frequently encountered food allergens. Food antigens may be hidden in foods and may not be readily identifiable.

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis usually begins during early infancy and affects about 10% of the paediatric population. It is a complex, chronic, inflammatory skin disorder that is characterized by severe pruritus, a chronically relapsing course, classic skin distribution and other diagnostic criteria. Atopic dermatitis appears before one year of age in 60% and within five years in 85% of those who are destined to acquire it.

Asthma

The main causes of asthma appear to be early viral infections, exposure to cigarette smoke and atopy. Viral infections have also been shown to increase hyper responsiveness and have also been associated with acute exacerbations of asthma in children. The level of IgE to Respiratory syncytial virus infection has been associated with an increasing severity of bronchospasm and hypoxia. Persistent wheezing after Respiratory syncytial virus infection in infancy is short lived in the absence of other factors such as atopic family history or exposure to cigarette smoke

Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is a major cause of morbidity in children. It is the cause, coexisting disorder or predisposing factor in many cases of serous otitis, chronic sinusitis, increased susceptibility to upper and lower respiratory infections and orthodontic disorders such as overbite and maldeveloped dental arches. Many children who suffer from allergic rhinitis present with a chronic congested nose or recurrent upper respiratory infections and are repeatedly treated with cold medications and/or antibiotics.