We’re the ‘allergy capital of the world’. But we don’t know why food allergies are so common in Australian childrenAustralian children develop a food allergy in their first 12 months of life. Research has previously suggested food allergies are more common in infants inSo why are food allergies so common in Australia? We don’t know exactly – but local researchers are making progress in understanding childhood allergies all the time.
Allergies to foods such as eggs, peanuts and cow’s milk often present for the first time in infancy, while allergies to fish and shellfish may be more common. While most children will outgrow their allergies to eggs and milk, allergy to peanuts is more likely to be lifelong.showed around three in 10 children grew out of their peanut allergy by age six, compared with nine in 10 children with an allergy to egg..
This evidence suggests that both genetics and environment play a role in the development of food allergies.Can I do anything to prevent food allergies in my kids?