Children with allergies are more likely to have anxiety
- Some 57% of youngsters with a food allergy report having anxiety symptoms
- Anxiety symptoms only occur in 48% of children without any food sensitivities
- Food allergies do not cause depression in children sufferers or their caregivers
- Yet, depression may occur as they age as it often has a later onset then anxiety
Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline
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Children with food allergies are significantly more likely to have anxiety and a fear of social rejection or humiliation, new research reveals.
Some 57 percent of youngsters with such an allergy report anxiety symptoms versus 48 percent of children without a food sensitivity.
Researchers believe this may be due to young allergy sufferers feeling different from their peers, as well as experiencing anxiety-provoking emotions as they manage a potentially life-threatening condition.
Lead author Dr Renee Goodwin from Columbia University, said: ‘Management of food allergy can be expensive both in terms of food shopping, meal preparation, and the cost of epinephrine auto-injectors, which expire annually.
‘These demands could result in higher levels of anxiety for those with fewer financial resources and further heighten anxiety symptoms in children’.
Food allergies affect up to 8 percent of children in the US.
Children with food allergies are significantly more likely to have anxiety symptoms (stock)
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SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH COULD CURE ALL ALLERGIES IN A SINGLE TREATMENT
Severe allergies could be “turned of”‘ by gene therapy, a study suggested earlier this month.
Researchers believe a single treatment giving life-long protection from severe allergies, such as asthma, could be made possible by immunology research.
A team led by Associate Professor Ray Steptoe, at The University of Queensland in Australia, has been able to “turn-off”‘ the immune response that causes allergic reaction in animals.
Professor Steptoe said: ‘When someone has an allergy or asthma flare-up, the symptoms they experience results from immune cells reacting to protein in the allergen.
‘The challenge in asthma and allergies is that these immune cells, known as T-cells, develop a form of immune “memory” and become very resistant to treatments.
‘We have now been able to “wipe” the memory of these T-cells in animals with gene therapy, desensitising the immune system so that it tolerates the protein.
‘Our work used an experimental asthma allergen, but this research could be applied to treat those who have severe allergies to peanuts, bee venom, shell fish and other substances.’
Key findings
Researchers from Columbia University analyzed 80 children aged between four and 12 with and without food allergies. Their caregivers were also assessed.
Children with asthma were excluded from the study as they are more likely to suffer from anxiety and mood disorders.
Results revealed that children with a food allergy are significantly more likely to have anxiety and a fear of social rejection and humiliation.
Some 57 percent of youngsters with a food allergy report symptoms of anxiety versus 48 percent without such a sensitivity.
Food allergies are not associated with depression in children, or anxiety or depression in their caregivers.
Yet, the researchers argue this may be because the study’s participants were young and depression typically has a later onset than anxiety.
Dr Goodwin said: ‘It would be worthwhile to examine these relationships among older adolescents and young adults with food allergy who are at the peak of risk for depression onset, especially because early anxiety is associated with increased risk for subsequent onset of depression.’
The findings were published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Why is there a link between food allergies and anxiety?
Dr Goodwin said: ‘Management of food allergy can be expensive both in terms of food shopping, meal preparation, and the cost of epinephrine auto-injectors, which expire annually.
‘These demands could result in higher levels of anxiety for those with fewer financial resources and further heighten anxiety symptoms in children’.
‘There are a number of possible explanations for the relationship found between food allergy diagnosis and increased social anxiety issues in this sample of pediatric patients.
‘Management of a potentially life-threatening condition may be anxiety provoking, and some children may experience increased social anxiety about being “different” from other children depending on their age and how food allergy is managed by adults in a particular setting.’
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