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Allergy & Asthma Advocate: Fall 2008Children May Build Tolerance to Egg Allergy New research suggests that beating childhood egg allergy is literally a piece of cake. In a preliminary study, researchers in Greece demonstrated that gradually exposing allergic children to heat-treated egg – such as those in baked goods – could help them overcome the allergy. In the trial, 94 children were regularly given tiny amounts of cake containing egg. Over a period of several months, the quantity of cake was gradually increased. Eighty-seven children (90 percent) were able to eat the maximum amount without symptoms. After six months of daily doses of the processed egg, those children were challenged to eat egg that was not cooked to the same degree. More than 95 percent had no reaction and were believed to have outgrown the allergy. The findings were published in the August issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). According to the AAAAI, one in 17 children under age 3 suffers from a food allergy. Hen’s egg is among the most common allergens for children. And while many children with egg allergy outgrow the sensitivity by the time they enter school, until then eliminating all egg from the diet is the only effective management. Ragweed Heats Up With Climate Change If you think your ragweed allergies are getting worse, you may be right. And global warming may be the culprit, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). That’s not good news for the estimated 36 million Americans who suffer from ragweed allergy, the primary cause of fall allergy symptoms. Global climate change is believed to be making ragweed season worse for allergy sufferers. Recent studies suggest that increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels are already resulting in longer ragweed seasons and more concentrated pollen counts. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), the official scientific journal of the AAAAI, has devoted its September issue to exploring the effects of climate change on allergic disease – including ragweed allergy. In a review article featured in the issue, Richard W. Weber, MD, FAAAAI, chairman of the AAAAI Aerobiology Committee, writes “there is now a wealth of evidence that climate change has had, and will have, further impact on a variety of allergenic plants.” Researchers have decisively linked climate change to “longer pollen seasons, greater exposure and increased disease burden for late summer weeds such as ragweed,” Weber, citing among other findings that increased carbon dioxide has resulted in pollen production increases of 61-90 percent in some ragweed varieties. According to data from the AAAAI one ragweed plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains in an average season. Due to the grains’ light weight, they can travel up to 400 miles with the breeze, leaving virtually no outdoor place ragweed-free.
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