Society’s Lack Of Food Allergies Impacts Those Afflicted With Food Allergies

The level of knowledge and understanding of children with food allergies varies significantly across three key groups: pediatricians and family physicians, the general public and families who have a child with food allergies.

The research group, led by Ruchi Gupta, MD MPH, found that misconceptions around food allergy are prevalent among the general public; parents have good knowledge but face many daily challenges; and that physicians differ in their approach to diagnosis and advice for children with food allergies.

The results show that parents of children with food allergies have solid knowledge but experience high levels of anxiety as they worry about their children eating the wrong foods.

As one mother said “You are so fearful of anaphylaxis and death. It is this kind of unknowing, this uncertainty of what degree of reaction it’s going to be.”

Parents felt food allergies impacted every aspect of their lives, including daily functioning, relationships, work and marriage.

As one father put it, “My wife is much more into 100 percent prevention all the time and I am more into trying to maximize what my son can do.” Many mothers felt their careers suffered or stopped due to the need to protect their child from harmful foods at all meal times.

Read more at EurekAlert