Food allergy is very common affecting up to 4% of preschool children. Milk and egg allergy is common in infancy and 1 in every 50 school age children has peanut allergy.
Other common foods include:
- Egg
- Milk
- Peanut
- Other nuts such as Hazelnut and Cashew
- Fish
- Sesame seeds
- Lentils
- Soya
- Wheat
- Fruits such as apples, peaches and kiwi
It’s important to get a clear diagnosis with a suspected food allergy and get advice on the risks and severity of future reactions. Some children should carry adrenaline injectors to protect them and this requires a clinical risk assessment as well as advice and training for families. Many children grow out of their food allergies as they get older and regular allergy checks can tell when this is happening. We recommend that children are rechecked when they change or leave schools.
