Investigation of responsible foods for food-induced anaphylaxis in children

Abstract

Introduction : This study aimed to investigate the age-specific and cause-specific clinical presentations of food-induced anaphylaxis.
Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 49 patients aged ≤15 years who visited our emergency department between January 2008 and December 2012 for food-induced anaphylaxis.
Results : Roe (9 cases), egg (8 cases), and buckwheat (8 cases) were the three major foods responsible. In patients aged <1 years, egg was the major culprit, in those aged 1-6 years, roe was the major culprit, and in those aged ≥7 years, buckwheat was the major culprit. Twelve cases were treated by intramuscular administration of epinephrine.
Conclusion : The trend of responsible foods for food-induced anaphylaxis in children is different depending on age. It is therefore necessary to enlighten the public about this age difference. The frequency for roe responsible for anaphylaxis was higher than that found in other reports. We suggest that local eating habits had an effect on this result.