The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that four to six percent of children in the United States, have some kind of food allergy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). They have also stated that the numbers of children with food allergies are growing significantly (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). The most common food allergies found in children today are cow’s milk protein and peanut allergies.
A food allergy is an immunological response one gets from specific foods resulting in severe symptoms (Broome-Stone, 2012), that has become a huge problem in the world today. The skin, gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory tract are main sites of where symptoms of food …show more content…
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, children under the age of three are two to three percent have milk allergies (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2015). Many scientists believed that the children would have grown out of the allergy, but recent studies have proven this theory wrong. It is believed that some infants “grow out” of this allergy at the age of one and most at the age of three (Burton-Shepherd, 2012). Researchers discovered in one study that, less than twenty percent of children at the age of four, had grown out of their allergy (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2015). Children with milk allergies experience symptoms such as; hives, upset stomach, vomiting, bloody stools, and anaphylaxis (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2015). Children with milk allergies should avoid milk, other dairy products, and any other product containing milk protein (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2015). If the symptoms are severe, administer epinephrine, a form of adrenaline, is given to the patient which is in a form of an auto-injector. Caregivers and educators should be informed about the child’s allergy prior. Every body is different in its own way, this is why some people with milk allergies can tolerate dairy products that are highly heated. Parents or guardians should always ask an allergist or health care provider who is knowledgeable about allergies, to diagnose the child and determine if the patient can avoid or take the product (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2015). A diagnosis with an allergist usually consists of a detailed history regarding your diet and symptoms, allergy tests (skin-prick test and blood tests). During a skin-prick test, the allergist places a sample of milk or a milk protein