There probably is something to the notion that more kids are getting tested for allergies now, which inflates the numbers.

This is anecdotal, but just locally, at different elementary schools, the poorer the student body, the fewer allergies are listed among the kids. They don't tend to have the money to get tested when they have sensitivities. You can even bring those old PBJ's for lunch at some of these schools.

Anonymous wrote:I had severe allergies growing up. And I was born in '71.

Yeah, but how many of your classmates did also?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is doubting that some people have severe allergies. The question is whether minor allergies are exaggerated and exacerbated by forever banning exposure to allergens when a little supervised exposure might over time mitigate the reaction.

I sometimes think you moms like having extra-fragile kids who need extra help with everything and are always two inches from the brink of death. Does it makes you feel more needed?

Damn that is so rude. I go to Dr Wood at Hopkins who encourages safe exposure and not restricting kid's diet's unless medically necessary. No, we do not like having extra fragile kids. Would you seriously want to wonder if your child is going to accidentally ingest food and die? You are sick to say so.

+1
You think we like having to scrutinize every single label of every single product that our children come into contact with? My kid has a dairy/soy intolerance (MSPI) and while we keep waiting for him to outgrow it, at 4 yrs old things haven't changed. Dairy (even very small amounts in cooked food) causes severe reflux, overproduction of mucous (so much he literally gags on it), vomiting, and diarrhea within hours of consuming it. Soy takes longer (when consumed several days in a row), but causes the most of the same issues to a slightly lesser degree. And by soy I don't mean soy milk, tofu, or edamame; I'm talking about the small amounts of soy that are in everyday foods like bread (which is usually soy lecithin). I also have to check ingredients of any medication (prescription or OTC) as lactose or soybean oil may be added). We don't make a big deal about it though; DS knows we pack his food for school and special events he needs to check with us about other foods.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is doubting that some people have severe allergies. The question is whether minor allergies are exaggerated and exacerbated by forever banning exposure to allergens when a little supervised exposure might over time mitigate the reaction.

I sometimes think you moms like having extra-fragile kids who need extra help with everything and are always two inches from the brink of death. Does it makes you feel more needed?

This is a horrible, insulting, disgusting thing to say. You should be ashamed of yourself.

I totally agree with the 1st poster!

Anonymous wrote:No one is doubting that some people have severe allergies. The question is whether minor allergies are exaggerated and exacerbated by forever banning exposure to allergens when a little supervised exposure might over time mitigate the reaction.

I sometimes think you moms like having extra-fragile kids who need extra help with everything and are always two inches from the brink of death. Does it makes you feel more needed?

This is a horrible, insulting, disgusting thing to say. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the "increase" is in part due to kids like mine. DD had a definite, non-life-threatening, allergic reaction to a specific type of nut the first time she ate it. She accidentally ate one again about 6 months later and had a similar reaction. Neither time required anything more than a dose of benedryl and just waiting for her to feel better. But, because we took her to the doctor, she has now been officially diagnosed as allergic to nuts and given an epi-pen.

Let's hope your dd's reactions remain the same over time. There is a lot of evidence that reactions become stronger, so I am glad you have an epi-pen. Please always carry it with you. I would not like to read about your dd on the news.

I do hope the reactions don't get worse, but also it is pretty easy to avoid the one (or two) nuts that she is allergic to. My point was just that she is now flagged at her school as having a nut allergy, while if this happened when I was a kid, her relatively mild reaction would have gotten mom to say 'don't eat walnuts' and that would be the end of it.

The school has changed because they don't like children dying in school. It is distressing to the other students.

Anonymous wrote:No one is doubting that some people have severe allergies. The question is whether minor allergies are exaggerated and exacerbated by forever banning exposure to allergens when a little supervised exposure might over time mitigate the reaction.

I sometimes think you moms like having extra-fragile kids who need extra help with everything and are always two inches from the brink of death. Does it makes you feel more needed?

Damn that is so rude. I go to Dr Wood at Hopkins who encourages safe exposure and not restricting kid's diet's unless medically necessary. No, we do not like having extra fragile kids. Would you seriously want to wonder if your child is going to accidentally ingest food and die? You are sick to say so.

No one is doubting that some people have severe allergies. The question is whether minor allergies are exaggerated and exacerbated by forever banning exposure to allergens when a little supervised exposure might over time mitigate the reaction.

I sometimes think you moms like having extra-fragile kids who need extra help with everything and are always two inches from the brink of death. Does it makes you feel more needed?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Now this is interesting. My third child was an induction and has multiple food allergies. My other two kids I went into labor on my own (and had unmedicated births) and they have no allergies. I always suspected that the induction might have had something to do with the allergies.

Hmm...my FA child was a pitocin-augmented labor, not an outright induction. Wonder if there would be a difference btwn an induction and an augmentation?

Both my labors were scheduled inductions, and thankfully, no allergies to speak of.