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Article: Peanut allergy: an increasing health risk for children. (Primary Care Approaches).
- Article from:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Article date:
- September 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Jannetti Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Significance of Peanut Allergies
Food allergies cause about 30,000 anaphylactic reactions and 200 deaths each year in the United States (Sampson, 1999). Peanut and tree nut allergies account for the majority of fatal and near fatal anaphylactic reactions (Bock, Munoz-Furlong, & Sampson, 2001; Sampson, 2002) and generally develop at an early age. Unlike many other food allergies, most individuals do not develop a tolerance for peanuts but have lifelong allergies with more severe reactions as they get older (Sampson, 2002). Recent studies indicate only about 20% of infants with known allergic reactions to peanuts and low levels of serum IgE antibodies for peanuts ...