Looking for stats about outgrowing allergies

[Staceyshoe]

Is there a chart or an article that gives the % of children who outgrow each of the top 8 food allergens?

 

My youngest has multiple severe food allergies. (He's allergic to 6 of the top 8 and could anaphylax on 5 of them.) The allergist mentioned that he's approaching an age where children begin to outgrow food allergies, and he's hopeful that ds will outgrow some, not all. I'm just curious which ones he would be most likely to outgrow. TIA!

[Murmer]

I would google but I know that milk has the highest rate of being outgrown like 80% and then egg and wheat. There is a small chance of peanut like 5 or 10% but most kids do not outgrow peanut, tree nut or shellfish.

[The Girls' Mom]

I don't have any stats for you, but I thought I'd share what our allergist told us. (He's spent his career researching allergies and travels the world teaching other docs about it)

 

He said that a person never really outgrows an allergy. They only go into remission for a time, and allergies will (most of the time) reappear in the later part of your life. So even if your son does get better with age, he needs to be aware of the possibility of reoccurrance as an adult.

 

:grouphug:

[Mom0012]

I'm not really sure there are any good stats on this, but I'd love to read them if they exist. My son's allergist was sure my son would outgrow his peanut allergy because his numbers were so low. We had the Immunocap testing done when he was 5 or 6 and I was so excited to get the results. Well, not only did he not outgrow his peanut allergy, all of his numbers for all of his allergies took a tremendous leap up. I was so upset when I got that call.

 

Now, my son did outgrow his egg allergy and his anaphylaxis to wheat. Unfortunately, he replaced the wheat allergy with gluten intolerance/celiac disease.

 

I hope you get better results for your guy.

 

Lisa

[rafiki]

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[sbgrace]

The latest research on peanut looks like 20% according to this site: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/02/010213070927.htm

 

A single tree nut allergy is outgrown 9% of the time. Those with allergies to more than one tree nut are unlikely to outgrow. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051109092647.htm

 

Milk--79% by age 16 but those percents move up with age. (link with egg)

 

Egg--68% by age 16 with percents increasing with age. Details in the link for both milk and egg. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071215205437.htm

 

Soy was 69% by age 10. http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Soy-Allergy-in-Children-More-Persistent-Than-Once-Thought.aspx

 

I'll see if I can find the others.

[GoVanGogh]

I'm not really sure there are any good stats on this, but I'd love to read them if they exist. My son's allergist was sure my son would outgrow his peanut allergy because his numbers were so low. We had the Immunocap testing done when he was 5 or 6 and I was so excited to get the results. Well, not only did he not outgrow his peanut allergy, all of his numbers for all of his allergies took a tremendous leap up. I was so upset when I got that call.

 

Now, my son did outgrow his egg allergy and his anaphylaxis to wheat.

My son outgrew his egg and dairy allergy, but we had a similar issue with his peanut allergy. His RAST number was around 5 when he was tested at age 4. Our allergist always said he would likely outgrow it within a few years. I put off getting him retested and got careless over the years, as he had never had a reaction. This past summer, I caused him to have a bad allergic reaction, just from mild/quick contact to something I touched while eating peanuts. :001_huh: Our allergist said it couldn't have been the peanuts because he had tested so low on the RAST chart 5+ years ago, but she wanted to test him anyway "so we could officially clear him on that allergy." We were devastated to find his number had skyrocket to 70+.

[Staceyshoe]

Thank you! I was trying to Google the info and ended up with lots of articles that I was trying to slog through. If it's tied to RAST scores, maybe that's why the info is so difficult to find. (I need to get copies of his RAST tests so I know exactly what they are.) I thought there must be a quick reference chart online somewhere, but I guess there's not.

 

It sounds like the peanut and tree nut are probably here to stay. I'm hoping he does outgrow egg, wheat, and soy. His milk allergy is mild, so it's not a huge deal as long as it doesn't get worse. It's the constant vigilance for trace amounts and possible cross-contamination for so many different allergies that makes life difficult--especially when we are around food away from home. If we could get rid of that piece of it, it would feel like a weight was lifted.

[Mom0012]

There is info in Dr. Wood's Food Allergies for Dummies. If you have RAST scores (bloodwork):

 

- A child with a RAST of 1 is likely to outgrow soon, 15 outgrow in at least 3 years, and 75+ unlikely to outgrow.

 

There is more info as to what scores signify a true allergy and when to consider an oral challenge (Dr. supervised of course).

 

Anyway, my oldest was a 32 to egg when he had his anaphylactic reaction, he's almost 11 and just starting to outgrow it. He now tolerates 1/24th of a cooked egg.

 

My youngest was an 87 to milk when he had his anaphylactic reaction, he's 7 and still reacts, even to contact.

 

Michelle -

 

This is interesting, because Dr. Wood was my son's allergist until he was 6 or 7. It was a long drive for us to see him though, and he led me to believe that there was no point in continuing to test my son since it was unlikely he would outgrow any of his remaining allergies. While some of his numbers were in the 20s, I don't think any of them were as high as 30. As a result, we haven't taken him back in 5 years or so. I really was under the impression that if they didn't outgrow the allergies by age 5 or 6, it was unlikely to happen.

 

I'm not questioning what you read in his book, but I'm surprised because it's so different from what he told me and my husband.

 

Lisa

[Mom0012]

Thank you! I was trying to Google the info and ended up with lots of articles that I was trying to slog through. If it's tied to RAST scores, maybe that's why the info is so difficult to find. (I need to get copies of his RAST tests so I know exactly what they are.) I thought there must be a quick reference chart online somewhere, but I guess there's not.

 

It sounds like the peanut and tree nut are probably here to stay. I'm hoping he does outgrow egg, wheat, and soy. His milk allergy is mild, so it's not a huge deal as long as it doesn't get worse. It's the constant vigilance for trace amounts and possible cross-contamination for so many different allergies that makes life difficult--especially when we are around food away from home. If we could get rid of that piece of it, it would feel like a weight was lifted.

 

Stacey -

 

You do know they are doing clinical trials for (at least for milk and peanuts, if not other allergens) to eliminate allergies using allergy drops? Dr. Wood told me this should be ready for the public sometime around the time my son hits college age. My son is 11 right now. I know that's a long way off, but it does give me a ray of hope for my son's safety as an adult.

 

Lisa

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I have one friend whose ds is severely allergic to milk whose testing was positive intially and then later negative. The thing is that he was still allergic:001_huh: I believe her since she is an RN and educated me, an RN, on the ins and outs of food allergies for ds. I don't recall the numbers but I remember her saying that negative test results do not necessarily mean one is not allergic. I think the testing she referred to was both the RAST and skin testing.

[sbgrace]

Michelle -

 

This is interesting, because Dr. Wood was my son's allergist until he was 6 or 7. It was a long drive for us to see him though, and he led me to believe that there was no point in continuing to test my son since it was unlikely he would outgrow any of his remaining allergies. While some of his numbers were in the 20s, I don't think any of them were as high as 30. As a result, we haven't taken him back in 5 years or so. I really was under the impression that if they didn't outgrow the allergies by age 5 or 6, it was unlikely to happen.

 

I'm not questioning what you read in his book, but I'm surprised because it's so different from what he told me and my husband.

 

Lisa

 

Lisa--I wonder if the Dr. Wood is the one in the articles I linked? If so, it looks like the "new" (at the time of publication) research in the articles (and surprising to him as it's different than they expected/conventional wisdom) has shown that allergies can be outgrown into the teens. At least one of the articles said that they now recommend follow up into the teens due to the findings.

 

I'm really encouraged to know they might have drops to desensitize at some point. Is that still promising as far as you know?

 

We manage but it makes me sad for my son to think that all his life (dating, etc.) he'll have to avoid so much due to tree nut and sesame cross contamination--not to mention the life threatening aspect of his allergies.

 

I know there was buzz not too long ago about some new treatment based on chinese herbs that was now in the phase of human trials (can't remember the University) and, just as in the animal studies, allowed those receiving it to safely eat their anaphylactic allergens for months afterward.

 

I really hope there is some help on the horizon for our kids.

[Mom0012]

Lisa--I wonder if the Dr. Wood is the one in the articles I linked? If so, it looks like the "new" (at the time of publication) research in the articles (and surprising to him as it's different than they expected/conventional wisdom) has shown that allergies can be outgrown into the teens. At least one of the articles said that they now recommend follow up into the teens due to the findings.

 

I'm really encouraged to know they might have drops to desensitize at some point. Is that still promising as far as you know?

 

We manage but it makes me sad for my son to think that all his life (dating, etc.) he'll have to avoid so much due to tree nut and sesame cross contamination--not to mention the life threatening aspect of his allergies.

 

I know there was buzz not too long ago about some new treatment based on chinese herbs that was now in the phase of human trials (can't remember the University) and, just as in the animal studies, allowed those receiving it to safely eat their anaphylactic allergens for months afterward.

 

I really hope there is some help on the horizon for our kids.

 

As far as I know, the drops are successful for some. I don't know what the success rates are though. I think I'll have to take my son back to Dr. Wood at least one more time to see if anything much has changed since we were there last. I will say that my son had supposedly outgrown his shellfish allergy according to testing, but he is still clearly allergic to all shellfish.

 

Lisa

[AFwife Claire]

I really was under the impression that if they didn't outgrow the allergies by age 5 or 6, it was unlikely to happen.

 

 

I always thought that too, but my son (#3) just outgrew his milk allergy this summer, a few months before he turned 9. I was so surprised! He passed a milk challenge and everything. Wow! He is still allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, but it is so nice to not worry about milk anymore. Of course, he doesn't LIKE stuff with milk in it, LOL, but at least I don't have to worry about him having a reaction!

[wapiti]

I think the Peanut Allergy Answer Book says something like a 10 to 20% chance of outgrowing peanut allergy, though I haven't read the book in years.

 

At our last appointment (asthma checkup), the allergist discussed doing an oral challenge for peanut - a miniscule amount or something - followed by possibly doing a desensitization program. The allergy practice, which is large, is still in the talking stage about whether they'd offer this. I still don't know how I feel about it and I haven't gotten around to researching it. The idea of the challenge freaks me out - his skin test has always been a strong positive (4mm?) and his last known exposure, at 1 y.o., involved a significant area of hives on bottom and legs.

 

In the long run, if the desensitization program worked, it might reduce the chances of anaphylaxis due to accidental exposure and might thus be very worthwhile for us. However, I don't think eating lots of peanut would ever be recommended. I have to admit, I'm not really sure...:confused:

[Mom0012]

I always thought that too, but my son (#3) just outgrew his milk allergy this summer, a few months before he turned 9. I was so surprised! He passed a milk challenge and everything. Wow! He is still allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, but it is so nice to not worry about milk anymore. Of course, he doesn't LIKE stuff with milk in it, LOL, but at least I don't have to worry about him having a reaction!

 

That's great news!

 

Lisa

[SonshineLearner]

You kick it by about 3 if you are. Sunbutter is good if they'll eat it. (you have to make sure that the sunflower butter you get is without peanuts contamination...)

[rafiki]

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[Guest prettyinpink]

I've heard different things as well. My son also has severe food allergies to about 15 foods, most of them in the top 8 as well so I can relate. He's 18 months and outgrew his soy and corn allergy already. However, he's so sensitive to milk, egg, nuts, peanuts and wheat. He's allergic to a lot of others too. But those seem to be his most severe. I have heard like others mentioned that if they score really high on some of them, they might not. If it's a lower score, they have a better chance of outgrowing them.