Eczema and Immediate Food Allergies

There is a very close relationship between eczema and immediate food allergies. Almost all the children in my clinic who have immediate food allergies either have eczema or had it during the first year of life. This strongly suggests that eczema may have a causative role in food allergies and this is currently the subject of a lot of interest in the scientific world. There is also a clear relationship between the age that the eczema first appeared, how severe it is and the likelihood of having one of these types of food allergy. The earlier that eczema starts and the more severe that it is, the greater the chance of having immediate food allergies.

Studies have shown that children with severe eczema that started before 3 months of age are at particular risk (and most will have a food allergy) whilst those who did not develop eczema until they were over 1 year were much less likely to have a food allergy.

Most immediate food allergy is caused by a relatively small number of different foods – milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat although allergies to sesame, kiwi and banana seem to be getting more common. Once an immediate food allergy is diagnosed, there is currently no real alternative to avoiding the food, whilst being prepared to treat allergic reactions quickly when they occur. Fortunately, many food allergies are outgrown during the course of children, particularly those to milk and egg.

Common causes of Immediate Allergy

• Milk
• Egg
• Peanut
• Treenut
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Soya
• Wheat
• Sesame
• Kiwi

Common causes of Delayed Allergy

• Milk
• Egg
• Soya
• Wheat
• Fish