You'll never think about allergies the same ever again.
Food Allergy Friday 12.13.2024
Expert Updates for Pediatric Healthcare Providers
Your weekly compass in the evolving landscape of pediatric food allergies
This Week's Featured Article
Title: "The Allergy Epidemics: 1870-2010"
Authors: Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills, MD, PhD, FRS
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
⚡️ Key Points in 30 Seconds
- Allergic conditions have come into existence in distinct waves.
- Changes in lifestyle and hygiene may impact the development and continuation of allergic conditions more than we appreciate.
- Although the uptick in peanut allergy was first noticed in the 1990's, the underlying trigger of that increase remains unknown though may include multiple epigenetics factors, especially changes in hygiene and in diet.
👉 Why This Article Matters for Your Practice
Parents may ask you why food allergies have increased, and this article provides creative insight into the onset of allergies. The author - a grandfather of the study of allergy - considers an array of potential factors regarding the increase in food allergies. This interesting read also provides a nice line graph/timeline depicting the onsets of allergic conditions.
📊 Study Overview
Population: NA - this is an expert clinical review.
Design: NA
Primary Outcome (regarding food allergy): We need to consider multiple causes of food allergies.
Key Conclusions by the Authors: "The reasons why peanut allergy has become more common might include (1) changes in vaccines, particularly the change from cellular to acellular pertussis; (2) excessive washing of the skin that could have increased penetration of the skin by peanut proteins; and (3) attempts to avoid oral peanut."
Hoyt Commentary
This is one of my favorite articles of all time and one I regularly share with parents and really anyone who's interested in learning about the onset of allergic conditions. The author Dr. Platts-Mills was my program director during fellowship and someone who encouraged me to think outside the box, something that has served him well during his own career. I love the graph/timeline in this article as well as the other visuals Dr. TPM chose to include when he was invited to write this article. The title is also special as he was asked to write the article "The Allergy Epidemic" and he countered with "The Allergy Epidemics," underscoring the importance of the distinct conditions and their unique comings into existence.
Patient Communication Tips
🗣️ Key Messages for Families
- We don't know what causes allergies, but yes, they have increased since our patients' parents were children.
- Some allergists do think outside the box and consider various potential triggers of food allergies.
Sample Script:
"Food allergies have increased since you were a child. While we can speculate on the cause, we don't really know. Here's an interesting read on what a free-thinking allergist suspects may be at play."
🧐 Quick Quiz
After perusing the article, test your knowledge with this single question:
When was the uptick in peanut allergy first identified?
A. 1985
B. 1995
C. 2005
D. 2015
Answer and explanation provided in next week's newsletter. ✔
🤓 Reader's Corner
Have a question about this week's article? Want to suggest a topic for future review?
Email us at [email protected].
'Food Allergy Friday' is curated and written by Dr. Alice Hoyt. Dr. Hoyt is board-certified in allergy & immunology, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Her clinical expertise is in food allergies, and she serves patients with her team at the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy.
Want to share this newsletter? Forward to a colleague or share this link to the Hub: https://foodallergypedshub.hoytallergy.com/
