Atlanta Allergy & Asthma is weighing in on a new study regarding allergic development. Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia used data from electronic health records to identify and describe patterns of pediatric allergies, validating a pattern of allergic development known as the ‘allergic march’. The study involved data from over 200,000 pediatric patients across the United States. The findings were published in Pediatrics.
The ‘allergic march’ is a pattern in which allergies first present as eczema, followed by food allergies, asthma, and then environmental allergies. The researchers found that the average peak age of onset for eczema was approximately 4 months, 13 months for anaphylactic food allergies, 13 months for asthma, and 26 months for allergic rhinitis or hay fever. The study also identified that an emerging and less recognized non-anaphylactic food allergy called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which has historically been considered a disease affecting primarily white males, is more common among non-white patients than previously reported. Average onset for EoE was 35 months for patients in this study.
“As allergists/immunologists, we have long monitored for signs of the allergic march, also known as the atopic march,” says David Tanner, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Atlanta Allergy & Asthma. “This study confirms the pattern of development of allergic diseases in children, and underscores the importance of early diagnosis and management of these conditions. In some cases, early intervention can actually prevent the onset of other allergic conditions.”
The use of EHR data versus survey data provided by families and caregivers, according to the authors, removed bias from the findings. “Prior studies have gauged the prevalence and patterns of allergies based on surveys completed by families,” said first author Stanislaw J. Gabryszewski, MD, PhD, a fellow in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in a press release “By using data from electronic health records, we were able to analyze data from medical providers, which allowed us to examine population-level patterns over time and in a way that minimizes reporting bias.”
The study also found that the prevalence of anaphylactic food allergies was lower when diagnosed by healthcare providers than in survey-based studies using family-reported data. The researchers suggest “this discrepancy highlights the importance of providers and families partnering in the diagnosis of food allergy.”
Because such a large percentage of children with eczema develop allergies and/or asthma later, seeking the advice of an allergy expert who can diagnose and monitor for allergic developments, can help prevent the progression of these conditions. Schedule with one of our allergy experts by calling 770-953-3331.