Issues in medical care for children with allergies from the standpoint of clinics and practitioners

Abstract

Parents raising infants are afraid of eczema, despite it being a minor condition, and often choose an elimination diet as a solution. The proportion of parents who reported that their infant had food allergy symptoms was 31.1% and an elimination diet was prescribed at the parents' discretion, in some cases based on information available on the Internet. In addition, physicians often suggest an elimination diet based on the results of blood tests alone.

It has been pointed out that infants aged six months or older in Japan do not meet the World Health Organization child growth standards. This may be partly attributed to the rising awareness of food allergies. In addition, eczema is not managed in many infants; overconfidence in moisturizers and avoidance of topical steroids are blamed on healthcare professionals.

Many staff members working with infants believe that the number of deaths from food allergies is considerably higher than reported; specialists need to provide appropriate risk assessment.

Allergic diseases exist across the boundaries of medical departments, and practitioners are required to address all of them. A medical fee for integrated management is needed.