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Food‐induced anaphylaxis in infants, as compared to toddlers and preschool children in Turkey
Author(s) -
Kahveci Melike,
Akarsu Ayşegül,
Koken Gizem,
Sahiner Umit M.,
Soyer Ozge,
Sekerel Bulent E.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/pai.13320
Subject(s) - medicine , anaphylaxis , pediatrics , vomiting , atopic dermatitis , food allergy , allergy , medical record , nausea , dermatology , immunology
Background The literature includes scarce data on infants with food‐induced anaphylaxis (FIA). Materials and Methods Medical records of the patients diagnosed with FIA aged 0‐6 years between 2015 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results During the study period, there were 451 instances of FIA in 314 patients, of which 175 (38.8%) occurred in 160 infants (50.9%). The median (IQR) age of infants was 7 months (6‐9 months) with a male predominance (67.5%), of which 7.5% had multiple instances (≥2) and 60% atopic dermatitis. The most common triggers were cow’s milk (51.4%), tree nuts (16.6%), and hen’s egg (15.4%), whereas tree nut was the most common trigger in toddlers (35.8%) and preschool children (35.2%). Skin and neurologic symptoms, and nausea‐vomiting occurred more frequently ( P = .003, P ≤ .001, and P = .003, respectively), whereas respiratory symptoms occurred less commonly in infants compared to toddlers and preschool children ( P ≤ .001). In infants, 65 (37.1%) mild, 92 (52.6 %) moderate, and 18 (10.3%) severe episodes of anaphylaxis were detected. History of recurrent wheezing (OR: 6.837 [95% CI: 1.940‐24.097], P = .003) and tree nut allergy (OR: 2.849 [95% CI: 1.056‐7.688], P = .039) were found to be independent risk factors for moderate‐to‐severe anaphylactic reactions. 40.6% of the infants received adrenaline, which was lower than the toddlers (49.7%) and preschool children (57.6%) ( P = .005). Conclusion There is no doubt that food‐induced anaphylaxis is a medical emergency, specifically in young children. Pediatricians should be aware of the distinct features of infant anaphylaxis, particularly gastrointestinal and neurologic symptoms to provide effective treatment as soon as possible.