New Allergy Rates Data Released of Victorian Children
Niamh Sutton reporting for Newsline
November 30, 2023
They are some of the most common “allergic foods” not only in Victoria, but Australia-wide. Nuts and Dairy are in the top 10 most common allergic foods, and for each generation, that has been rapidly increasing. But we could be one step closer to understanding how to prevent it.
Melbourne researchers have revealed a closer look into nut and dairy allergies, and what causes these common allergic diseases. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has found that 1.4% of 1-year-olds have a cashew allergy, and 1.3% of infants, have a diagnosed peanut allergy.
This project, focusing on common childhood allergies was the first of its kind in Australia. The study was done on nearly one thousand Victorians and even found that children with cow milk allergy are more likely to have parents born in East Asia.
Dr Pie Ling Loo, a paediatrician who specialises in Allergies at Eastern Health, says that she has seen a very “exponential increase in the past 10 years”
“Nobody really knows why. But we are so clean these days, with antibiotics, and lack of exposure to other viruses and bacteria has led to our immune system not recognising food antigens”
She says that to support young children, parents should not restrict what their kids are eating. “The Australian Allergy and Immunology Society recommends that mothers should have a wide variety of diet while pregnant, like eggs and nuts.”
She adds that babies should also not be restricted and consume eggs, cow milk, and peanuts.
Findings like these can help both parents and healthcare professionals to inform better clinical practice.
A VERY special thank you to Dr Pei Ling Loo and the media team at Eastern Health. Running at the same time as the Voice to Parliament, a lot of our reports had been reshuffled and taped over.
However, we enjoyed this report and love chatting with the experts. Thank you for your help!
Digital article released December 2023.
