When we were growing up did we just not realize kids had allergies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In many ways, it's like other things kids are diagnosed with. Many moons ago, boys who were fidgety were boys, now they are ADD, ADHD, etc. Some actually have it but as a society, we have to put a label on why you act a certain way. Growing up, I didn't know any kids who were autistic and now, we know several. What used to be a kid being a little different or not liking certain things now has a medical diagnosis.

I think part of the problem is that kids in the past just died (allergies), were institutionalized or shunned (autism/mental illness) , dropped out (ADHD) etc... if they had something wrong. Society was more - may the best man win and not inclusive. Now we do medicalize things and probably too much but it also means that people who need the help get it and can be functioning members of an inclusive society. Not giving it a name doesn't actually mean it isn't happening. People were just deemed odd, eccentric, hermits, and weren't part of mainstream society. It is a hard balance to find.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom with three allergic kids. I bet my money on the vaccine, which are made with allergens (eggs, nuts, milk, soy, corn, etc). My husband and I are not allergic at all, the different between us and our kids are the vaccines they are exposed to since day 1. This explains the world wide rising in allergies since from US to China, every baby is now injected with much more allergens then we were in the old days. I am not saying that vaccine definitely causes allergies. But for certain babies, allergens in vaccine may just be enough to trigger the allergies in them.

This makes me spitting mad. Did you pull this "allergens in vaccines may just be enough to trigger allergies" theory right out of your ass? How did it become the "in" thing to do to blame something that has saved countless lives -- vaccines -- for EVERYTHING that goes wrong that we can't explain?

How about all the toxic chemicals we put into our environment and that find their way into our lungs and bloodstreams? Why not look a little harder at those, before you go spreading suspicion about vaccines, which have been studied INCESSANTLY and proven to be not only safe, but literal lifesavers?

Here's just on article on some more likely causes for all the various health problems that are skyrocketing in the US:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/backpack.cord.blood/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In many ways, it's like other things kids are diagnosed with. Many moons ago, boys who were fidgety were boys, now they are ADD, ADHD, etc. Some actually have it but as a society, we have to put a label on why you act a certain way. Growing up, I didn't know any kids who were autistic and now, we know several. What used to be a kid being a little different or not liking certain things now has a medical diagnosis.

Yes and no. Fidgety boys are indeed more "diagnosable" these days. But sleep deprivation is more common these days, with more households where both parents work long hours, increased screen time, etc. And sleep deprivation leads to ADHD symptoms:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/opinion/sunday/diagnosing-the-wrong-deficit.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

There IS research on a lot of these "mysterious" topics we're opining on here. Research is your friend.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine recently told me that she read a study where scientists now think women go into labor once the baby's lungs are fully developed. When this happens, the lungs secrete a hormone that kick starts labor because the baby is fully ready to be born. When labor is induced, this hormone might not yet be present and although the baby might have no visible long-term ill effects, their lungs might just have been a little too immature and this makes them more susceptible to allergies later in life. I have no idea if that's true or not, but it was interesting to think about! It correlates with the rise in induced labors and allergies in children. Just food for thought.

[Anonymous]

Interesting but what if you had a csection after labor ie emergency? I had this and my child has allergies when there is no family history before this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's that AAP guidelines have grown more stringent and have actually backfired on us. As parents have been encouraged to withhold potential allergens from their kids until age 2, kids have actually grown more allergic. It's crazy. Now the AAP guidelines are changing, also frustrating, because those of us who followed them in the first place (and ended up with allergic kids) wonder if we should have just ignored them in the first place. Allergies have definitely increased ten-fold since I was a kid, and it's not just a coincidence.

And to think people think AAP is the decisive word on things like breastfeeding and screen time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My very own anecdotal study...
I grew up in South America and did not even know peanut allergies existed until I moved to the US for graduate school. Same for gluten. I had a friend who was allergic to shellfish and a cousin with a very severe allergy to penicillin, but that was it.
I always figured that maybe I was just not paying attention, but now that I have children of my own I do pay attention and when we go visit we do summer camp and attend many birthday parties plus all my friends have kids and I have only heard of one child with lactose intolerance. Not once have I been told to restrict certain foods when I send in lunch.
I am not saying they don't exist, but allergies just don't seem as prevalent there.

BTW, I work with children and I am now fully trained to use an epipen because many of the children I work with have very severe allergies. So I am not making light of the issue.

I think I might know you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom with three allergic kids. I bet my money on the vaccine, which are made with allergens (eggs, nuts, milk, soy, corn, etc). My husband and I are not allergic at all, the different between us and our kids are the vaccines they are exposed to since day 1. This explains the world wide rising in allergies since from US to China, every baby is now injected with much more allergens then we were in the old days. I am not saying that vaccine definitely causes allergies. But for certain babies, allergens in vaccine may just be enough to trigger the allergies in them.

This makes me spitting mad. Did you pull this "allergens in vaccines may just be enough to trigger allergies" theory right out of your ass? How did it become the "in" thing to do to blame something that has saved countless lives -- vaccines -- for EVERYTHING that goes wrong that we can't explain?

How about all the toxic chemicals we put into our environment and that find their way into our lungs and bloodstreams? Why not look a little harder at those, before you go spreading suspicion about vaccines, which have been studied INCESSANTLY and proven to be not only safe, but literal lifesavers?

Here's just on article on some more likely causes for all the various health problems that are skyrocketing in the US:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/backpack.cord.blood/index.html

Very well said!

[Anonymous]

Mom with one child with severe food allergies and one with ADHD. I'll admit I was a naysayer on both conditions, to the point where I sometimes wonder if karma was at work... But I can assure you the conditions ARE real.

Health conditions change all the time in this country. Children are bigger today and are entering puberty earlier. Incidents of certain cancers are up, while others are down. Whooping cough was common; then it wasn't; now it's creeping up again. Skin cancer is the most common cancer among young adults. The argument that "it wasn't around when I was a kid" is completely spurious.

[Anonymous]

On the "too clean" environment theory -

A study was recently published comparing people who grew up on farms versus those who grew up in urban areas. Allergy incidence among farmers was way lower - the theory is that they are exposed to far more bacteria from earliest age and their bodies learn to fight back with appropriate strength - and those with allergies have bodies "overreacting" to the substance.

And I recently heard on NPR about another study of what parents do with the baby's pacifier when it falls out. Those who stick it in their own mouths to clean it off (yes, ew) have children with far fewer allergies. Same theory of exposure to bacteria.

I've always wondered how back when a huge portion of the population lived on or near farms, people like me survived the allergies! I think this theory helps explain somewhat. They really didn't suffer from so many allergies then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the "too clean" environment theory -

A study was recently published comparing people who grew up on farms versus those who grew up in urban areas. Allergy incidence among farmers was way lower - the theory is that they are exposed to far more bacteria from earliest age and their bodies learn to fight back with appropriate strength - and those with allergies have bodies "overreacting" to the substance.

And I recently heard on NPR about another study of what parents do with the baby's pacifier when it falls out. Those who stick it in their own mouths to clean it off (yes, ew) have children with far fewer allergies. Same theory of exposure to bacteria.

I've always wondered how back when a huge portion of the population lived on or near farms, people like me survived the allergies! I think this theory helps explain somewhat. They really didn't suffer from so many allergies then.

They found the same thing with people who own pets, right? But were these food allergies or other environmental allergies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But my uncle, who is 65 is deathly allergic to nuts, pollen, bee stings.

I think a lot of things were not diagnosed. For example my uncle made every effort to hide his allergies. If he had not been diagnosed, he would have eated some PB&J and the death certificate would have said "choked to death on sandwich. So sad, but these things happen".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the "too clean" environment theory -

A study was recently published comparing people who grew up on farms versus those who grew up in urban areas. Allergy incidence among farmers was way lower - the theory is that they are exposed to far more bacteria from earliest age and their bodies learn to fight back with appropriate strength - and those with allergies have bodies "overreacting" to the substance.

And I recently heard on NPR about another study of what parents do with the baby's pacifier when it falls out. Those who stick it in their own mouths to clean it off (yes, ew) have children with far fewer allergies. Same theory of exposure to bacteria.

I've always wondered how back when a huge portion of the population lived on or near farms, people like me survived the allergies! I think this theory helps explain somewhat. They really didn't suffer from so many allergies then.

I think this is the answer. And I think we'll see more research as people begin to realize it. When we lived in a more rural part of the country where kids spent the vast majority of their days outside either playing or working I don't recall a single child in any of my kids' classes with a severe allergy. Not one. In their classrooms in D.C. there was always at least one, often two or three, kids with allergies. Class size was about the same. To further prove the point, their school in the more rural area did not have a "allergy table" and peanut butter sandwiches were often on the menu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom with three allergic kids. I bet my money on the vaccine, which are made with allergens (eggs, nuts, milk, soy, corn, etc). My husband and I are not allergic at all, the different between us and our kids are the vaccines they are exposed to since day 1. This explains the world wide rising in allergies since from US to China, every baby is now injected with much more allergens then we were in the old days. I am not saying that vaccine definitely causes allergies. But for certain babies, allergens in vaccine may just be enough to trigger the allergies in them.

This makes me spitting mad. Did you pull this "allergens in vaccines may just be enough to trigger allergies" theory right out of your ass? How did it become the "in" thing to do to blame something that has saved countless lives -- vaccines -- for EVERYTHING that goes wrong that we can't explain?

How about all the toxic chemicals we put into our environment and that find their way into our lungs and bloodstreams? Why not look a little harder at those, before you go spreading suspicion about vaccines, which have been studied INCESSANTLY and proven to be not only safe, but literal lifesavers?

Here's just on article on some more likely causes for all the various health problems that are skyrocketing in the US:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/01/backpack.cord.blood/index.html

Very well said!

Chilled!! Don't be so quick to rule things out. Here is a list of allergens in vaccines:

http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/components-Allergens.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Food allergy mom here. I definitely think that kids seem to be more diagnosed with allergies, but a fair amt will outgrow those allergies in their childhood, so it's not a lifelong issue for them (lucky), so perhaps we had friends who'd outgrown their allergies prior to us knowing them.

I also think that some of the testing could contribute to a rise in diagnoses. I hesitate to type this, because I fear it could make people more dismissive of allergies or make them tend to not believe in them. With my own child (not a single food allergy at all in our families' histories- it came out of nowhere), he tested positive via skin test to pecans and peanuts. We were told to avoid all treenuts, not just pecans, which we did, and I would always say he had TN/PN allergies. When he was retested, he showed nothing for pecans or any other treenut (still positive to peanuts). The allergist said it was possible he either was never allergic to pecans or that it was a mild allergy and he outgrew them, but for us to still avoid treenuts due to the correlation with tn and pn allergies. I used to still say he was allergic to tn, even though the test didn't support that, but now I say we avoid tn and hope that people still respect that. I know he's definitely allergic to peanuts b/c he's had both ingestion and contact reactions to them, unfortunately.

If your son is not showing a reaction to TN, wouldn't your allergist now suggest an in office food challenge? I know we are soon doing one for my dd who's RAST score has declined over the years.