TY - JOUR
T1 - Frequency of food allergy in school-aged children in eight European countries-The EuroPrevall-iFAAM birth cohort
AU - Grabenhenrich, Linus
AU - Trendelenburg, Valérie
AU - Bellach, Johanna
AU - Yürek, Songül
AU - Reich, Andreas
AU - Fiandor, Ana
AU - Rivero, Daniela
AU - Sigurdardottir, Sigurveig
AU - Clausen, Michael
AU - Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G
AU - Xepapadaki, Paraskevi
AU - Sprikkelman, Aline B
AU - Dontje, Bianca
AU - Roberts, Graham
AU - Grimshaw, Kate
AU - Kowalski, Marek L
AU - Kurowski, Marcin
AU - Dubakiene, Ruta
AU - Rudzeviciene, Odilija
AU - Fernández-Rivas, Montserrat
AU - Couch, Philip
AU - Versteeg, Serge A
AU - van Ree, Ronald
AU - Mills, Clare
AU - Keil, Thomas
AU - Beyer, Kirsten
N1 - © 2020 The Authors. Allergy published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2020/3/27
Y1 - 2020/3/27
N2 - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of food allergy (FA) among European school children is poorly defined. Estimates have commonly been based on parent-reported symptoms. We aimed to estimate the frequency of FA and sensitization against food allergens in primary school children in eight European countries.METHODS: A follow-up assessment at age 6-10 years of a multicentre European birth cohort based was undertaken using an online parental questionnaire, clinical visits including structured interviews and skin prick tests (SPT). Children with suspected FA were scheduled for double-blind, placebo-controlled oral food challenges (DBPCFC).RESULTS: A total of 6105 children participated in this school-age follow-up (57.8% of 10 563 recruited at birth). For 982 of 6069 children (16.2%), parents reported adverse reactions after food consumption in the online questionnaire. Of 2288 children with parental face-to-face interviews and/or skin prick testing, 238 (10.4%) were eligible for a DBPCFC. Sixty-three foods were challenge-tested in 46 children. Twenty food challenges were positive in 17 children, including seven to hazelnut and three to peanut. Another seventy-one children were estimated to suffer FA among those who were eligible but refused DBPCFC. This yielded prevalence estimates for FA in school age between 1.4% (88 related to all 6105 participants of this follow-up) and 3.8% (88 related to 2289 with completed eligibility assessment).INTERPRETATION: In primary school children in eight European countries, the prevalence of FA was lower than expected even though parents of this cohort have become especially aware of allergic reactions to food. There was moderate variation between centres hampering valid regional comparisons.
AB - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of food allergy (FA) among European school children is poorly defined. Estimates have commonly been based on parent-reported symptoms. We aimed to estimate the frequency of FA and sensitization against food allergens in primary school children in eight European countries.METHODS: A follow-up assessment at age 6-10 years of a multicentre European birth cohort based was undertaken using an online parental questionnaire, clinical visits including structured interviews and skin prick tests (SPT). Children with suspected FA were scheduled for double-blind, placebo-controlled oral food challenges (DBPCFC).RESULTS: A total of 6105 children participated in this school-age follow-up (57.8% of 10 563 recruited at birth). For 982 of 6069 children (16.2%), parents reported adverse reactions after food consumption in the online questionnaire. Of 2288 children with parental face-to-face interviews and/or skin prick testing, 238 (10.4%) were eligible for a DBPCFC. Sixty-three foods were challenge-tested in 46 children. Twenty food challenges were positive in 17 children, including seven to hazelnut and three to peanut. Another seventy-one children were estimated to suffer FA among those who were eligible but refused DBPCFC. This yielded prevalence estimates for FA in school age between 1.4% (88 related to all 6105 participants of this follow-up) and 3.8% (88 related to 2289 with completed eligibility assessment).INTERPRETATION: In primary school children in eight European countries, the prevalence of FA was lower than expected even though parents of this cohort have become especially aware of allergic reactions to food. There was moderate variation between centres hampering valid regional comparisons.
U2 - 10.1111/all.14290
DO - 10.1111/all.14290
M3 - Article
C2 - 32219884
SN - 0105-4538
VL - 75
SP - 2294
EP - 2308
JO - Allergy
JF - Allergy
IS - 9
ER -