Food associated with allergies in kids

Blue Cross research findings 

Between 2010 and 2016, the reportfrom Blue Cross and Blue Shield indicated that there was a rise of up to 150% of the total number of children who received medical care in emergency rooms when suffering anaphylaxis.

Some data claim that of the most severe allergic reactions are due to foods such as peanuts and tree nuts. According to Dr. Trent Haywood, the chief medical officer for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, many parents are aware of the allergic symptoms and often call their pediatricians to come to the ER more quickly and thus solving this great death risk. Dr. Trent Haywood suggested that the medical community need to identify the cause of the increased food associated allergy cases. However, he pointed that some factors related could be genetics and the environment.

FAIR Health conducted a research and found private insurance claim lines, which had diagnoses of anaphylactic food reactions. Their findings indicated a rise by 377 percent from 2007 to 2016 and also found that half of the adults with food allergies had developed them immediately after the age of 18.

Blue Cross went on to dig into medical claims, which covered 9.6 million kids by its policies. The results showed that the trips to the emergency room for anaphylaxis rose from 1.4 per 10,000 children in 2010 to 3.5 per 10,000 children in 2016.

The report indicated that the majority of the foods causing anaphylaxis were:

  • Peanuts, 22 percent
  • tree nuts and seeds, 15 percent
  • milk and eggs, 6 percent

To a lower extent, reactions are caused by:

  • Fish and shellfish, 3 percent
  • fruits and vegetables, 2 percent

The findings also showed that 53 percent of all allergic reactions resulted from unspecified causes — suggestively, foods and also effects of bee stings and insect bites.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases give a record of 5% of U.S. children to suffer food allergies while Blue Cross revealed 18 percent of kids covered by its policies suffered anaphylaxis in 2016.

Enough data about food allergies is needed. However, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine complains that there is no adequate data yet.

 Importance’s of knowing the child’s allergic symptoms

It is important for parents to know the symptoms that presents with allergic reactions and other related signs so that they can keep their children safe from the allergens and harm and also safe themselves the pressure of being in the emergency departments rooms and the associated costs.

The average ER visit for anaphylaxis did cost $1,419, in the year 2016 with an average patient out-of-pocket cost of $373. Related

Blue Cross reported that the price of epinephrine auto-injector drugs had declined since the controversy that arose with the hike in the price for Mylan’s EpiPens. Often times EpiPens did cost $129 for a two-pack in 2010, but Mylan raised the price to $645 in 2016. The price was now lowered to $493 on average for a twin pack while a generic Adrenaclick would costs $234.

 Allergy report classification by state

The Blue Cross also classified the anaphylaxis reports by state with Montana, Idaho, Utah and Vermont recording low rates of kids with allergy-related runny noses while the Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia recording the highest rates.