Management of Food Allergy in Nurseries in Japan: a comparison between 2013 and 2021
2023 Volume 37 Issue 1 Pages 105-112
Details
2023 Volume 37 Issue 1 Pages 105-112
Purpose: To examine the changes in food allergy (FA) management in nurseries.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in August 2021 in all licensed nurseries in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, and the results were compared to those of a survey conducted with the same methods and in the same area in 2013. The chi-square test was used to analyze the differences, and P-values <0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance.
Results: In 2021, 261 nurseries (74.6% of the total; included 30,047 children) were included in the analysis. Compared to the results of 2013, the percentage of nurseries using the FA management instruction sheet prepared by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the percentage of nurseries with children who carry an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen®) significantly increased. The percentage of nurseries that were ready to use an EpiPen® in case of emergency also increased. There was a significant decrease in the percentage of nurseries that had experienced an allergic reaction event on-site within the past year, but there was no significant difference in the percentage of nurseries that had experienced a grade 2 or higher allergic reaction event.
Conclusions: The number of children who carry an EpiPen® has increased, and the management of children with FA has improved. However, more efforts are needed for the management of severe cases.
